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>
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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>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
zealous:
Full of zeal; ardent, fervent; exhibiting enthusiasm or strong passion.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/zealous>
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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>