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 →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Wagtail sighting in Queen Elizabeth National Park, based on 14 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Queen Elizabeth National Park
African Pied Wagtail
Motacilla aguimp
Western Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flava
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinerea
Mountain Wagtail
Motacilla clara
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Macronyx croceus
Grassveld Pipit
Anthus cinnamomeus
Plain-backed Pipit
Anthus leucophrys
Short-tailed Pipit
Anthus brachyurus
Long-billed Pipit
Anthus similis
Black-headed Gonolek
Laniarius erythrogaster
Rüppell's Glossy-starling
Lamprotornis purpuroptera
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ 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
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Cape Wagtail in Queen Elizabeth National Park?
About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Wagtail sighting in Queen Elizabeth National Park, based on 14 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Cape Wagtail in Queen Elizabeth National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Cape Wagtail in Queen Elizabeth National Park in our monthly data.