Mountain wagtail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mountain wagtail |
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The mountain wagtail (Motacilla clara) is a cool bird found in Africa. It's also known as the long-tailed wagtail or grey-backed wagtail because of its looks. This bird is part of the wagtail family, and it loves to hang out near water.
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What it Looks Like
The mountain wagtail is a slim bird with a long tail. Its upper body is a light bluish-grey, and its belly is white. It has a thin black band across its chest.
Its wings are black with white edges on the feathers, and it has two white bars on its wings. The outer parts of its tail are white, while the middle is black. Its face looks a bit dark, but it has a white stripe above its eye and a white eyelid. Young mountain wagtails are usually browner than the adult birds.
Where it Lives
You can find the mountain wagtail in the mountains of Afromontane regions. It lives in many countries, from Guinea in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and all the way south to South Africa.
In southern Africa, you might see it in the highlands of Zimbabwe and nearby parts of Mozambique. It also lives further south in the Eastern Cape region.
Its Home (Habitat)
This wagtail really likes small rivers and streams that are in hilly areas. It especially loves places with waterfalls and flat rocks sitting in shallow water. These spots usually have forests, woodlands, or thick bushes nearby.
Sometimes, you can spot them along forest paths or roads. They might even visit gardens if they are close to their favorite watery homes.
What it Eats
The mountain wagtail mainly eats insects. It catches a lot of flies! It usually hunts for food along watercourses, looking for prey on rocks, in sand, and in shallow water.
They also eat other insects like caddis flies, mayflies (both adults and young ones called nymphs), dragonflies, and damselflies. Sometimes, they munch on butterflies, moths, beetles, grubs, slugs, and even tadpoles.
Reproduction and Family Life
Mountain wagtails are very loyal. A male and female usually stay together for their whole lives and defend their territory. Both parents help build the nest.
Their nest is a strong, cup-shaped home made from root fibers, plant stalks, and other soft materials. They often build it in a hole in a stream bank, on a large rock, or on a dam wall. Sometimes, they even build nests in branches hanging over water, in trees near deep pools, or in human-made places like bridges or buildings.
In southern Africa, the female lays 1 to 4 eggs between August and May, with most eggs laid from September to December. Both parents take turns sitting on the eggs for about 13–14 days. They switch places every 15–60 minutes!
Once the chicks hatch, both parents feed them. The parents keep the young birds warm for the first 3–4 days, then less often as they grow. By the time they are 6–8 days old, they don't need brooding anymore. The young birds are ready to fly when they are 14–18 days old. They stay with their parents in their territory for another 19 to 48 days before heading out on their own.
Types of Mountain Wagtails (Subspecies)
There are three different types, or subspecies, of the mountain wagtail. They look very similar but live in slightly different areas:
- Motacilla clara clara: Found in Ethiopia.
- Motacilla clara chapini: Lives from Sierra Leone to Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and western Uganda.
- Motacilla clara torrentium: Found from eastern Uganda to Kenya, Rwanda, Angola, and South Africa.
