ALSO known as the longtailed wagtail or grey wagtail, the mountain wagtail is a sparse resident found in fast-flowing rocky streams and rivers and in forests with pools and waterfalls.
Its voice is a musical, piping ‘tswee-tswee’ with a loud ‘chissik’ on take-off.
They feed on insects especially the larvae of dragonflies and mosquitoes. The breeding season is from August to January, and the male and female pair for life. The female lays one to four white eggs in a bulky foundation of leaves, moss and grass.
They start building the nest, which is usually located in the bank of a stream, with wet material. The male and female alternate with incubation duties, sharing shifts of 15 to 60 minutes. Incubation is 13 to 14 days and fledgings remain for 14 to 18 days.
The mountain wagtail’s Zulu name is umCishu and in Afrikaans it is known as bergkwikkie.
