Forest Wagtail

Forest Wagtail

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.

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Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Forest Wagtail Dendronanthus indicus
Estimated average number of individuals by week based on eBird data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024
Peak week Sep 24-Sep 30
Early date 13 Aug 2005
Late date 30 Apr 1988
Peak passage of this species is from Sep-Oct, but wintering birds may be seen throughout the season especially at mixed-species wagtail roosts.
Forest Wagtail at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Francis Yap
Forest Wagtail. Photo Credit: Zahidi Hamid
Forest Wagtail at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

External Links:

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 April 14, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/forest-wagtail.

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