The willie wagtail is a passerine bird native to Australia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, and eastern Indonesia. It is a common and familiar bird throughout much of its range, living in most habitats apart from thick forest. Measuring 19.0–21.5 cm (7½–8½ in) in length, the willie wagtail is contrastingly coloured with almost entirely black upperparts and white underparts; the male and female have similar plumage. Three subspecies are recognised: one from central and southern Australia, another from northern Australia, and the third from New Guinea and islands in its vicinity. The willie wagtail is insectivorous and spends much time chasing prey in open habitat. Its name is derived from its habit of wagging its tail horizontally when foraging on the ground. Aggressive and territorial, the willie wagtail will often harass much larger birds such as the laughing kookaburra and wedge-tailed eagle. It has responded well to human alteration of the landscape and is a common sight in urban lawns, parks, and gardens. It was widely featured in aboriginal folklore around the country as either a bringer of bad news or a stealer of secrets.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_wagtail
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1493:
Ottoman Empire forces defeated the Croatian army at the Battle of Krbava Field. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Krbava_Field
1739:
The Stono Rebellion, at the time the largest slave rebellion in the Thirteen Colonies of British America, erupted near Charleston, South Carolina. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stono_Rebellion
1969:
Allegheny Airlines Flight 853 collided in mid-air with a Piper PA-28 Cherokee flown by a student pilot near Fairland, Indiana, US, destroying both planes and killing all occupants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegheny_Airlines_Flight_853
1990:
Sri Lankan Civil War: The Sri Lankan Army massacred at least 184 Tamil refugees in the Batticaloa District. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_Batticaloa_massacre
2009:
The Dubai Metro (train pictured), the first urban train network in the Arabian Peninsula and the world's longest fully automated metro network, was ceremonially inaugurated at 9:09:09 PM. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai_Metro
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
zealous: Full of zeal; ardent, fervent; exhibiting enthusiasm or strong passion. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/zealous
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
The thunderstorm is a constant phenomenon, raging alternately over some part of the world or the other. Can a single man or creature escape death if all that charge of lightning strikes the earth? --Kalki Krishnamurthy https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kalki_Krishnamurthy