Willy Wagtails

 From human habitations never far away

Black and white small birds one does see every day

Of people they do not seem at all that shy

Willy wagtails or black and white fantails the names they are known by

In defense of their territory great colurage they do show

I have seen them mob larger birds such as a magpie or a crow

As they try to drive them from their territory sometimes they succeed

For their size they are courageous and quite fearless indeed

Australia's most common breed of fantail

One often does see them wagging their long black tail

Some with knowledge of birds say the reason for this is from the grass to flush flies

And devour them as from hiding they rise

In cup shaped nest of fibre and dried grass felted with spider web on fork of small tree

The female lay white eggs with brown dots of two or three

Against predators the male and the female their nest site defend

And any other species of bird that they do not treat as a friend

They do have a recognizable brief little chattering song

And once seen and once heard them you will never again get wrong

In Spring they often sing at night and some refer to them as the Australian nightingales

The black and white fantails better known as willy wagtails.