Forest Wagtail

A distinctive wagtail with diagnostic wing and breast patterns. It has a prominent, whitish eyebrow with two black crescent-shaped bands on the upper breast; lower one wider when present. Upperparts are brown-gray with a greenish tinge. Two broad white wingbars on an otherwise black wing. Immature is browner, less green above than adult, the breast-bands brownish-black and narrower, the lower one completely or partially missing. Inhabits all kinds of woodlands, foraging on forest paths, swinging its tail side to side (not up and down), and when disturbed, flushing into trees. Call is a metallic “pink” produced in flight. Song is a two-noted “tis-fee” repeated 4-5 times.

It is usually found in open areas of the woodland such as clearings. In winter it is found mainly in well-shaded forest habitats or along paths in coffee plantations and clearings in forests. The breeding areas are in eastern Asia, parts of Korea, parts of China (Gansu, Anhui, Hunan) and parts of Siberia.

Food consists of small invertebrates, such as ants (Hymenoptera), beetles (Coleoptera), small grasshoppers (Orthoptera), butterflies (Lepidoptera), cicadas (Cicadidae) and other hemipterans, and other insects, also spiders (Araneae), small molluscs and worms (Annelida).