Forest Wagtail
Forest WagtailForest WagtailForest WagtailForest Wagtail

Forest Wagtail

Dendronanthus indicus

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Danum Valley Conservation Area
7 Verified sightings at Danum Valley Conservation Area From 2019 to 2026
1,129 Verified sightings across all 31 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Forest Wagtail

The forest wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus) is a medium-sized passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae. It has a distinctive plumage that sets it apart from other wagtails and has the habit of wagging its tail sideways unlike the usual up and down movements of the other wagtail species. It is the only wagtail species that nests in trees. It is found mainly in forested habitats, breeding in the temperate parts of east Asia and wintering across tropical Asia from India to Indonesia.

The forest wagtail was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the wagtails in the genus Motacilla and coined the binomial name Motacilla indica. The specific epithet is from Latin indicus meaning "Indian". Gmelin based his account on "La Bergeronnette gris des Indes" that had been described in 1782 by the French naturalist Pierre Sonnerat. The forest wagtail is now the only species placed in the genus Dendronanthus that was introduced in 1844 by the English zoologist Edward Blyth. The name Dendronanthus combines the Ancient Greek dendron meaning "tree" with the... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Danum Valley Conservation Area

Grey Wagtail
LC

Grey Wagtail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Motacilla cinerea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Oriental Pipit
LC

Oriental Pipit

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Anthus rufulus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Eastern Yellow Wagtail
LC

Eastern Yellow Wagtail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Motacilla tschutschensis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Little Spiderhunter
LC

Little Spiderhunter

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Arachnothera longirostra

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Slender-billed Crow
LC

Slender-billed Crow

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Corvus enca

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Black-and-yellow Broadbill
NT

Black-and-yellow Broadbill

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Eurylaimus ochromalus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
White-crowned Shama

White-crowned Shama

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Copsychus stricklandii

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Lesser Green Leafbird
NT

Lesser Green Leafbird

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Chloropsis cyanopogon

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Spectacled Bulbul

Spectacled Bulbul

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Rubigula erythropthalmos

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Malaysian Pied-Fantail
LC

Malaysian Pied-Fantail

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Rhipidura javanica

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker
LC

Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Prionochilus xanthopygius

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Red-eyed Bulbul
LC

Red-eyed Bulbul

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Pycnonotus brunneus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
2 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~10%
3 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
4 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
5 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~10%
6 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
7 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
8 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
9 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
10 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
11 Horton Plains National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
12 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%
13 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
14 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
15 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
16 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
17 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
18 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
19 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
20 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
21 Gir National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
22 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
23 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
24 Eravikulam National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
25 Gunung Leuser National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
26 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
27 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
Insufficient data
28 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
29 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data
30 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
31 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Forest Wagtail in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Forest Wagtail sighting in Danum Valley Conservation Area, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Forest Wagtail in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

September has the highest sighting rate for Forest Wagtail in Danum Valley Conservation Area in our monthly data.

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