Mountain Wagtail (Motacilla clara)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Mountain Wagtail

Motacilla clara Sharpe, 1908

18 gWeight

The mountain wagtail (Motacilla clara), also known as the long-tailed wagtail or grey-backed wagtail, is a species of wagtail of the family Motacillidae from sub-Saharan Africa.

Busiest months: July–August and November · Most records: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: July–August and November · Most records: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda

Mountain Wagtail has been recorded at 144 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 17 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Mt Kenya NP – Castle Forest and LodgeKenya345 records
  2. Ngare Sero Mountain LodgeTanzania252 records
  3. Aberfoyle LodgeZimbabwe232 records
More places
  1. Nairobi River @ National Museums of KenyaKenya212 records
  2. Lake Manyara NPTanzania174 records
  3. Naro Moru River LodgeKenya173 records
  4. Wondo GenetEthiopia168 records
  5. Bwindi-Impenetrable NP – 'The Neck'Uganda141 records
  6. Kakamega Forest NRKenya141 records
  7. Kakamega Forest NR – Ikuywa RiverKenya137 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaTanzaniaUgandaEthiopiaZimbabweMalawiSouth AfricaZambia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The mountain wagtail (Motacilla clara), also known as the long-tailed wagtail or grey-backed wagtail, is a species of wagtail of the family Motacillidae from sub-Saharan Africa.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Mountain Wagtail?

The Mountain Wagtail weighs around 18 g.

Where does the Mountain Wagtail live?

Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

When is the best time to see the Mountain Wagtail?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July, August and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Mountain Wagtail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Mountain Wagtail as Least Concern.

What does the Mountain Wagtail eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Mountain Wagtail in?

It belongs to the family Wagtails, Pipits (Motacillidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
18 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
82 mm
Tail
98 mm
Bill
18 mm
Tarsus
20 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Wagtails, Pipits Motacillidae
Genus
Motacilla

Other birds in the genus Motacilla

Western Yellow WagtailWestern Yellow WagtailMotacilla flavaEastern Yellow WagtailEastern Yellow WagtailMotacilla tschutschensisCitrine WagtailCitrine WagtailMotacilla citreolaCape WagtailCape WagtailMotacilla capensisMadagascar WagtailMadagascar WagtailMotacilla flaviventrisSao Tome ShorttailSao Tome ShorttailMotacilla bocagiiGrey WagtailGrey WagtailMotacilla cinereaWhite WagtailWhite WagtailMotacilla albaAfrican Pied WagtailAfrican Pied WagtailMotacilla aguimpMekong WagtailMekong WagtailMotacilla samveasnaeJapanese WagtailJapanese WagtailMotacilla grandisWhite-browed WagtailWhite-browed WagtailMotacilla maderaspatensis
Mountain Wagtail

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Вадим Ивушкин. ↗

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