Wikipedia says…
The willie (or willy) wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) is a passerine bird native to Australia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, and Eastern Indonesia. It is a common and familiar bird throughout much of its range, living in most habitats apart from thick forest. Measuring 19–21.5 cm (7 1⁄2–8 1⁄2 in) in length, the willie wagtail is contrastingly coloured with almost entirely black upperparts and white underparts; the male and female have similar plumage.
This one is hard to get a shot at – it’s constantly on the move. It makes a chattering noise when scolding. Another call is interpreted as ‘sweet pretty creature’. Its name comes from a constant sideways wagging of the tail, so it was a little odd seeing it sit quietly on the fence like this – and yes, my neighbour’s yard again! (Nikon D3000, 200mm lens)
Thanks for looking.
🙂
Christine R 
What do the neighbours have that are stealing your birds away. Lovely birds, but it’s a wonder they don’t get tired. Your lucky you got that shot. Ours seem a bit smaller than 7 1/2 inches. Tho, I suppose if you could keep one still long enough to measure from tip to tail it probably could be that big.
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Their tail is pretty long! Actually, what the neighbour’s have is peace and quiet. No-one is there, most of the time – certainly no fanatic camerapersons!
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Such a happily silly name for such an elegant bird!
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I read somewhere that the name could have come from our Irish arrivals, since it was a colloquial name for a pied wagtail on the Isle of Man and in Northern Ireland. Thanks for dropping in, Janet. I’ll be by your blog soon. 🙂
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