This Willie Wagtail looks serious and alert. Usually, these birds are flitting from place to place, or waving their tails around, or chasing some interloper away from their territory. My camera caught this bird in a moment of reflection. It’s standing on the red dirt of the Outback at Bendleby Ranges in South Australia:

Despite the name, Willie Wagtails are actually fantails (Rhipidura) rather than wagtails (Motacilla). Fantails spread out their tails and wave them from side to side, whereas wagtails waggle their tails up and down. However, Australians chose the name Willie Wagtail and it stuck.

Common name: Willie Wagtail
Scientific name: Rhipidura leucophrys
Approximate length: 20 cm
Date spotted: 20 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Bendleby Ranges in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia: 32°21’13.7″S 138°47’34.8″E