Cape Wagtail
Motacilla capensis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyMotacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)
- GenusMotacilla (Wagtails)
- SpeciesMotacilla capensis (Cape Wagtail)
The Cape wagtail (Motacilla capensis), also known as Wells's wagtail, is a small insectivorous bird which is widespread in southern Africa. It frequents water's edge, lawns and gardens. It is a mostly resident, territorial species, but has been known to undertake limited altitudinal migration or form flocks outside of the breeding season. Like other wagtails they are passerine birds of the family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Lake Mburo National Park
African Pied Wagtail
Motacilla aguimp
Western Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flava
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Macronyx croceus
Plain-backed Pipit
Anthus leucophrys
Grassveld Pipit
Anthus cinnamomeus
Striped Pipit
Anthus lineiventris
Long-billed Pipit
Anthus similis
Rüppell's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis purpuroptera
Trilling Cisticola
Cisticola woosnami
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Black-headed Gonolek
Laniarius erythrogaster
Fork-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus adsimilis
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Cape Wagtail at Lake Mburo National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there