Cape Wagtail

Motacilla capensis Linnaeus, 1766

Cape Wagtail, Motacilla capensis, is a passerine in the Motacillidae family and breeds in southern and south-central Africa. It is a bird of open ground near water, and it also occurs in gardens, parks, farms, villages, cultivated areas and urban places. In eastern Africa it is usually found at higher elevations. The species has a short tail and a subdued plumage, with a dark chest mark, pale outer tail feathers and a tan stripe above the eye. It is mostly resident and territorial, though it may make limited height-related movements and gather in flocks outside the breeding period.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Motacillidae — Wagtails, Pipits

Breeding range

Africa: sc, s