New zealand fantail
A species of Fantails, Also known as Black fantail Scientific name : Rhipidura fuliginosa fuliginosa Genus : Fantails
New zealand fantail, A species of Fantails
Also known as:
Black fantail
Botanical name: Rhipidura fuliginosa fuliginosa
Genus: Fantails
Content
Description General Info
Photo By silversea_starsong , used under CC-BY-NC-4.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
This fantail is mid to dark grey or grey-brown above, yellowish/orange below, with a dark band across the chest below a white throat, white markings over the eye, and (depending on the race) either white-edged or entirely white outer tail feathers. It grows to 16 cm (6.3 in) in length, of which half is the tail, which, as the name implies, is often displayed fanned out. This reveals that the outer tail feathers are light and the centre ones are dark. Some subspecies are found in a darker plumage, notably the "black fantail" morph seen in 4% of South Island birds and less than 1% of North Island birds (it is completely absent from the Chatham Islands). The black morph lacks the white areas and so is dark all over apart from a white spot behind the eye. Juveniles are similar to the adults but have a browner body and indistinct body markings.
Colors
Black
White
General Info
Behavior
During waking hours the bird is almost never still. It flits from perch to perch, sometimes on the ground but mostly on the twigs of a tree or any other convenient object, looking out for flying insects. The birds are not shy, and will often flit within a few metres of people, especially in forested areas and suburban gardens. In doing so, it is able to catch any small flying insects that may have been disturbed by human activities such as walking or digging. Under cold temperatures a flock of fantails will huddle to stay warm. The bird's call is an almost metallic cheek, either as a single sound or (more often) repeated as a chattering.
Photo By silversea_starsong , used under CC-BY-NC-4.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Fantails Genus
Fantails Species
New zealand fantail