White-browed Wagtail

Overview

The white-browed wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis) is a medium-sized bird and the largest member of the wagtail family. Native to the Indian subcontinent, it is a resident breeder that has successfully adapted to urban environments as well as natural wetlands.

Identification

• Length of 21 cm, making it the largest species of wagtail with a slender body and a long, constantly wagging tail.
• Black upperparts, head, and breast contrasting with white underparts, featuring a prominent white supercilium and a large white wingbar.
• Distinguished from white wagtails by the complete absence of white on the forehead.
• The usual call is a wheezy "wheech", while the song is long, loud, and varied in notes.

Habitat

The species is endemic to the Indian subcontinent, found south of the Himalayas, east of the Indus system, and west of Bangladesh. It inhabits open freshwater wetlands and has adapted well to urban areas, often perching on overhead water storages in residential buildings. While generally found below 1000 m, it reaches up to 2200 m in the hills of southern India.

Diet

This insectivorous bird feeds on orthopterans, caterpillars, spiders, Staphylinid beetles, and Pentatomid bugs. In urban environments, it has adapted to forage near water found on rooftops as overflow from storage tanks.

Did you know?

Historically, the bird was held sacred in India and considered a good omen because it supposedly bore an impression of Vishnu's shaligram on its breast. Its native name, khanjan, is used in the phrase "khanjan-eyed" to describe someone with beautiful eyes.