african pied wag tail, birds

The origin of wagtail appears to be in the general area of Eastern Siberia/Mongolia. Wagtails spread rapidly across Eurasia and dispersed to Africa in the Zanclean (Early Pliocene)where the sub-Saharan lineage was later isolated. The African Pink Wagtail (and possibly the Mekong Wagtail) diverged prior to the massive radiation of the white-bellied black-throated and most yellow-bellied forms, all of which took place during the late Piacenzian (early Late Pliocene), approximately around 3 mya.