Scientific Name: Dendronanthus indicus
Malay Name: Pipit-Rimba
Chinese Name: 山鹡鸰
Range: Breeds in eastern and northeastern China; winters to India and southeast Asia.
Taxonomy: Monotypic.
Size: 17-18 cm
Identification: A highly distinctive wagtail, unlikely to be confused with other species. Note its black triangular patch on upper breast (forming a "bib"), and crescent-shaped greyish-black markings on outer breast. Upperparts are olive-green with two broad whitish-yellow wing-bars.
Habitat: Forests, parkland, and mangroves.
Behaviour/Ecology: Join large roosts with other wagtails – this has traditionally been observed at Yishun along with large numbers of Grey Wagtails.
Local Status: Uncommon migrant
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)
Location: Any location with suitable habitat, such as Central Catchment Nature Reserve, as well as in various wooded parks across Singapore on passage.
- Migrant bar charts – Aug 28 update (Blog)
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Featured reports: Apr 2022, Sep 2022, Oct 2022, Nov 2022, Dec 2022, Jan 2023, Feb 2023, Mar 2023
Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Forest Wagtail)
References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Dendronanthus indicus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22718345A94576548.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Tyler, S. (2020). Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus), version 1.0. In del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D. A., & de Juana, E. (Eds.), Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.forwag1.01
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Forest Wagtail. Retrieved on September 25, 2023 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/forest-wagtail.