Mekong Wagtail

The Mekong wagtail is a large black-and-white wagtail with an intricate striped head pattern and the constantly moving tail typical of its family. Adult males have a black back, while females and immature birds are duller grey-brown. Bright areas in the wings and outer tail feathers flash in flight. Facial pattern and a harsh, buzzy call distinguish it from other regional black-and-white wagtails. The species was formally described only in 2001 (eBird species account; Duckworth et al. 2001).

It is centred on the Mekong valley of Laos and Cambodia, with non-breeding records from Thailand and Vietnam. Territorial pairs use broad, fast-flowing lowland channels broken by rocks, seasonally submerged bushes, gravel shoals and sandbars. They feed and rest on exposed sediment, low vegetation and earthen banks, shifting as river levels rise and flood these features. Breeding pairs and small colonies have been observed where large channel rocks and cliffs provide nesting habitat (Mekong biological surveys report; Wikipedia, general species account).