African Pied Wagtail

The African Pied Wagtail is a medium-sized bird, 20 cm, with two predominant colors on its entire body. The head is black with a very wide white eyebrow extending from the lores to the nape. The throat is white. A broad black breast band shaped like a bib can go down to the chest. Narrower on the sides, it reveals two white spots on either side of the neck. The flanks and the belly are white. The mantle, the scapulars and the back are black. The rump is gray-black. The flight feathers are black with white outer edges when the wings are closed. In flight, the two colors are well distinguished. The tips of the primary and secondary remiges are black, the median and small coverts are white and the tectrices are black. The central rectrices are black surrounded by two pairs of white feathers. The iris is brown, the bill is dark and the feet are black. Only a difference in intensity in the dark parts can distinguish the two sexes. In inter-nuptial plumage, the male is rather slate gray on the back. The female has less intense colors that become dark olive gray in inter-nuptial plumage. The immature has the dark plumage of the adult but is brown-olive in colour, the white parts are rather dirty white.