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For other uses, see Fantail (disambiguation).
Fantails
Grey Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa)
Grey Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Suborder: Passeri
Family: Rhipiduridae
Genus: Rhipidura
Horsfield and Vigors, 1827
Species

Over 40, see text

Fantails are small insectivorous birds of southern Asia and Australasia belonging to the genus Rhipidura in the monotypic family Rhipiduridae. The Grey Fantail ( Rhipidura fuliginosa) is a small insectivorous bird Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. SongBird is a Dutch Record label owned by Tijs Verwest and Arny Bink Thomas Horsfield, M D ( May 12, 1773 &ndash July 24, 1859) was an American Physician and naturalist. Nicholas Aylward Vigors (1785 &ndash October 26, 1840) was an Irish Zoologist and Politician. Year 1827 ( MDCCCXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of Insects and similar small creatures Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Australasia is a Region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring Islands in the Pacific A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic Monotypic is an adjective that refers to a taxonomic group with only one type: In Botany, "monotypic" means that a Taxon has only In Biological classification, family ( Latin Most of the species are about 15 to 18 cm long, specialist aerial feeders, and named as "fantails", but the Australian Willie Wagtail, is a little larger, and though still an expert hunter of insects on the wing, concentrates equally on terrestrial prey. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Willie (or Willy) Wagtail ( Rhipidura leucophrys) is a Passerine Bird native to Australia, New Guinea Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described

The true wagtails are part of the genus Motacilla in the family Motacillidae and are not particularly close relatives of the fantails. The wagtails form the Passerine Bird genus Motacilla. They are small birds with long tails which they wag frequently The wagtails form the Passerine Bird genus Motacilla. They are small birds with long tails which they wag frequently The Motacillidae are a family of small Passerine Birds with medium to long tails

Contents

Description

The fantails are small bodied (11. 5-21 cm long) birds with long tails; in some species the tail is longer than the body and in most the tail is longer than the wing. [1] When the tail is folded it is rounded at the end, but when spread in display or aerial foraging it has a characteristic fan shape that gives the family its name.

Fantails adopt a hunched horizontal posture most of the time, with the wings drooped and held away from the body and the tail half cocked. There are some exceptions to this, particularly the Northern Fantail of New Guinea and the Cockerell's Fantail of the Solomon Islands, which have a more upright posture reminiscent of the monarch flycatchers. UserPolbot. -->The Northern Fantail ( Rhipidura rufiventris) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. --> The Cockerell's Fantail ( Rhipidura cockerelli) is a species of Bird in the The Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands The monarch flycatchers, Monarchidae, are a family of Birds Well-known forms included here are boatbills monarch flycatchers paradise-flycatchers and the Magpie-lark

The wings of fantails are tapered and have sacrificed speed for agility, making fantails highly efficient at catching insect prey. Overall the fantails are strong fliers, and some species can undertake long migrations, but the thicket-fantails (Sooty Thicket-fantail, White-bellied Thicket-fantail and Black Thicket-fantail) are very weak fliers, and need to alight regularly. Flight is the main mode of locomotion used by most of the world's bird species UserPolbot. --> The Sooty Thicket-fantail ( Rhipidura threnothorax) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The White-bellied Thicket-fantail ( Rhipidura leucothorax) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. --> The Black Thicket-fantail ( Rhipidura maculipectus) is a species of Bird in the

The bills of fantails are typical for arial insect eating birds, being flat and triangular. Anatomy Stegosaurus --> Beaks can vary significantly in size and shape from species to species The gape is surrounded by two rows of rictal bristles which are long, often as long as the bill. The bills of most species are fairly weak, limiting fantails to softer insects, although the more terrestrial Willie Wagtail has a relatively stronger bill.

The plumage of most fantails shows some variation, most species are relatively uniform with some markings. Plumage refers both to the layer of Feathers that cover a Bird and the pattern colour and arrangement of those feathers [1] A few species, such as the Rennell Fantail, have uniform plumage, while others have striking if sombre patterns. UserPolbot. -->The Rennell Fantail ( Rhipidura rennelliana) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae The colours of most species are greys, blacks, whites and browns, although a few species have yellow or even striking blue feathers. In most species there is no sexual dimorphism in plumage; the notable exception being the Black Fantail of New Guinea where the male has all-over black plumage and the female is almost entirely rufous. Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different Sex in the same Species. UserPolbot. -->The Black Fantail ( Rhipidura atra) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known In a few species, such as the New Zealand race of the Grey Fantail (sometimes elevated to a full species), there exist two colour morphs, the common pied morph and the rarer black morph (which is most common on the South Island). New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Grey Fantail ( Rhipidura fuliginosa) is a small insectivorous bird The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. [2]

Range, migration and habitat

Fantails are an Australasian family that has spread as far as Samoa to Pakistan. Australasia is a Region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring Islands in the Pacific In Biological classification, family ( Latin Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa, is a country governing the western part of the Samoan Islands Archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and In the south the Grey Fantail ranges as far as the Snares off New Zealand, in the eastern extend of the family has several endemic forms in western Polynesia. The Grey Fantail ( Rhipidura fuliginosa) is a small insectivorous bird New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Polynesia (from Greek: πολύς many, νῆσος island) is a Subregion of Oceania, comprising a large grouping of over There are numerous species in Indonesia, the Philippines and in South East Asia, and the family ranges into southern China, India and the Himalayas. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Some species have a widespread distribution, particularly the Willie Wagtail, Grey Fantail, White-throated Fantail and Northern Fantail; others have a highly restricted range and in the case of some insular species may be restricted to a single island. The Willie (or Willy) Wagtail ( Rhipidura leucophrys) is a Passerine Bird native to Australia, New Guinea The Grey Fantail ( Rhipidura fuliginosa) is a small insectivorous bird The White-throated Fantail, Rhipidura albicollis, is a small Passerine Bird. UserPolbot. -->The Northern Fantail ( Rhipidura rufiventris) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae The Mussau Fantail is restricted to a single island in the Bismark Archipelago, and the Kadavu Fantail has a similarly restricted distribution in the Kadavu Group of Fiji. The Matthias Fantail, Rhipidura matthiae is a Fantail which is endemic to Mussau Island in the St The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and part of Papua New Guinea. UserPolbot. -->The Kadavu Fantail ( Rhipidura personata) is a species of Bird in the Fantail The Kadavu Group is an Archipelago south of Viti Levu, one of Fiji 's two main islands Fiji (Matanitu ko Viti फ़िजी officially the Republic of the Fiji Islands (Matanitu Tu-Vaka-i-koya ko Viti फ़िजी द्वीप समूह गणराज्य

The population of Rufous Fantails from south eastern Australia undertakes an annual migration to northern Queensland and New Guinea
The population of Rufous Fantails from south eastern Australia undertakes an annual migration to northern Queensland and New Guinea

Most fantails, particularly the tropical or insular forms, are sedentary and undertake no migration. The Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons inhabits the east coast of Australia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Bird migration refers to the regular seasonal journeys undertaken by many species of Birds Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability Some northern and southern species undertake a variety of movements; the Yellow-bellied Fantail of the Himalayas is an altitudinal migrant, breeding between 1500-4000m, but moving to lower altitudes (as low as 180m) in the winter. The Yellow-bellied Fantail Rhipidura hypoxantha is a Fantail found in Southern Asia. Some Australian fantails undertake seasonal migrations, although these show considerable variation even within individual species. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Most populations of the Rufous Fantail exhibit little migratory behaviour, but the south-eastern population moves en-mass to northern Queensland and New Guinea. The Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons inhabits the east coast of Australia. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known

Fantails exhibit fairly catholic tastes in habitat; while the majority of species are found in rainforests fantails exist in most available habitats from deserts and mangrove forests to highly modified agricultural and urban environments. Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Most species are able to survive in a variety of habitats. Of all the species the Mangrove Fantail has the most restricted habitat requirements, being entirely restricted to mangrove forests over some of its range, although it can exist 3km away in the absence of other fantails. The Mangrove Grey Fantail ( Rhipidura phasiana) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae family Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics. [3] Some of the more primitive species are generally more restricted to primary rainforest, but most other species can survive in more disturbed forest. The most adaptable species is the Willie Wagtail, which is abundant in every habitat type in Australia except for dense rainforest.

Behaviour

The behaviour of many species of fantail has not been studied, but overall the family is highly uniform in its habits. Anecdotal observations of less studied species suggest a high degree of similarity with the better studied species. Fantails are highly active birds, with several of the smaller species continuously on the move; even when perched they continue to rock back and forth, spin 180° on the spot, wag their tail from side to side or fan and unfan it. In flight they are highly agile and undertake highly aerobatic and intricate looping flights.

Diet and foraging

A Grey Fantail in Australia feeding its brood insect prey.
A Grey Fantail in Australia feeding its brood insect prey. The Grey Fantail ( Rhipidura fuliginosa) is a small insectivorous bird For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.

The majority of the diet of fantails composes of small insects and invertebrates. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described An invertebrate is an Animal lacking a Vertebral column. The group includes 98% of all animal Species — all animals except those in the Chordate The larger Willie Wagtail is capable of tackling small skinks, but this is exceptional. Skinks are the most diverse group of Lizards They make the family Scincidae which shares the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha with several other Insect prey is generally small and easily handled, but larger items sometimes need to be subdued by banging it on branches, an action that also removes the wings of larger prey items like moths. A moth is an Insect closely related to the Butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera.

There are two general techniques used by the family in order to obtain prey. [4] The first is known as "static searching", where the fantail will remain at a perch and watch for ariel prey which it will then sally towards and snatch from the air before returning to the perch in order to consume and resume searching. The second method used is known as "progressive searching", where the fantail moves through vegetation searching for insect prey which it gleans; the movement of the searching fantail also flushes out hidden prey which is also pursued and consumed. The Willie Wagtail performs a terrestrial version of this technique, pumping its tail from side to side and undertaking quick darting movements across open ground in order to flush up prey.

Fantails frequently form associations with other species in order obtain prey. Some species perch on the backs of cattle, which they use both as a vantage point and because the cattle flush up insects. This behaviour has given the Willie wagtail the nickname "Shepherd's Companion". Fantails are often very bold around people and will approach them closely in order capture insects flushed by them. Different species are also frequently found in Mixed-species feeding flocks, travelling with other small insectivorous birds on the periphery of the flocks taking advantage of flushed prey. A mixed-species feeding flock, mixed-species foraging flock or mixed hunting party is a flock of Birds of different Species that

Breeding

The nest of a White-throated Fantail, showing the tapered tail that many nests of the family have.
The nest of a White-throated Fantail, showing the tapered tail that many nests of the family have. The White-throated Fantail, Rhipidura albicollis, is a small Passerine Bird.

Fantails are territorial and aggressively defend their territories from conspecifics (other members of the same species) as well as other fantail species and other flycatchers. In Ethology, Sociobiology and Behavioral ecology, the term territory refers to any sociographical area that an Animal of a particular Species [1] Within the territory the female selects the nesting site, these sites are often close to the previous year's nest. A bird nest is the spot in which a Bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young Breeding responsibilities, nest building,incubation and chick feeding, are shared between both sexes.

The nest, a small cup of grass stems neatly bound together in spider silk, takes around 10 days to construct. Spider silk, also known as Gossamer, is a Protein Fiber spun by Spiders Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures which function Many species incorporate a trailing tail into the base of the nest; this possibly breaks up the shape of the nest, although there little other effort is made to conceal the nest. To compensate for the high visibility of the nest fantails will aggressively defend their chicks from potential predators.

Female fantails will also distract a potential predator by appearing to be injured and luring the predator away from the nest. While the female is pretending to be injured the male may continue to attack the predator. In spite of this fantails have a generally low nesting success.

Species

Based on del Hoyo et al (2006)

Willie WagtailRhipidura leucophrys
Willie Wagtail
Rhipidura leucophrys

References

  1. ^ a b c Boles, W. The Mangrove Grey Fantail ( Rhipidura phasiana) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae family UserPolbot. -->The Brown Fantail ( Rhipidura drownei) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. -->The Dusky Fantail ( Rhipidura tenebrosa) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. -->The Rennell Fantail ( Rhipidura rennelliana) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. -->The Streaked Fantail ( Rhipidura spilodera) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. -->The Kadavu Fantail ( Rhipidura personata) is a species of Bird in the Fantail UserPolbot. -->The Samoan Fantail ( Rhipidura nebulosa) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. -->The Rusty-bellied Fantail ( Rhipidura teysmanni) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. -->The Tawny-backed Fantail ( Rhipidura superflua) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. -->The Streaky-breasted Fantail ( Rhipidura dedemi) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. -->The Long-tailed Fantail ( Rhipidura opistherythra) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. -->The Palau Fantail ( Rhipidura lepida) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. -->The Rufous-backed Fantail ( Rhipidura rufidorsa) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae The Bismarck Fantail Rhipidura dahli is a Fantail. The binomial commemorates the German naturalist Friedrich Dahl. The Matthias Fantail, Rhipidura matthiae is a Fantail which is endemic to Mussau Island in the St The Malaita Fantail ( Rhipidura malaitae) is a Fantail endemic to Malaita in the Solomon Islands. The Arafura Fantail ( Rhipidura dryas) sometimes known as the Wood Fantail, inhabits the Lesser Sunda Islands, the northern coast of Australia The Pohnpei Fantail ( Rhipidura kubaryi) is a Fantail which is endemic to the Pacific island of Pohnpei in the Federated The Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons inhabits the east coast of Australia. In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. The Manus Fantail Rhipidura semirubra is a Fantail endemic to the Admiralty Islands of Papua New Guinea. UserPolbot. -->The Dimorphic Fantail ( Rhipidura brachyrhyncha) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. -->The Black Fantail ( Rhipidura atra) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. -->The Black-and-cinnamon Fantail ( Rhipidura nigrocinnamomea) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. --> The Rufous-tailed Fantail ( Rhipidura phoenicura) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. --> The White-bellied Fantail ( Rhipidura euryura) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae The Willie (or Willy) Wagtail ( Rhipidura leucophrys) is a Passerine Bird native to Australia, New Guinea UserPolbot. --> The Spotted Fantail ( Rhipidura perlata) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae The White-browed Fantail, Rhipidura aureola, is a small Passerine Bird. UserPolbot. -->The Pied Fantail ( Rhipidura javanica) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae The White-throated Fantail, Rhipidura albicollis, is a small Passerine Bird. UserPolbot. -->The Brown-capped Fantail ( Rhipidura diluta) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae The Cinnamon-tailed Fantail, Rhipidura fuscorufa is a Fantail restricted to the Banda Sea Islands of Indonesia. UserPolbot. -->The Northern Fantail ( Rhipidura rufiventris) is a species of Bird in the Rhipiduridae UserPolbot. --> The Cockerell's Fantail ( Rhipidura cockerelli) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. --> The Sooty Thicket-fantail ( Rhipidura threnothorax) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. -->The White-bellied Thicket-fantail ( Rhipidura leucothorax) is a species of Bird in the UserPolbot. --> The Black Thicket-fantail ( Rhipidura maculipectus) is a species of Bird in the The Willie (or Willy) Wagtail ( Rhipidura leucophrys) is a Passerine Bird native to Australia, New Guinea E. (2006). Family Rhipiduridae (Fantails). Pp 200-244 in: del Hoyo, J. , Elliott, A. & Christie, D. A. eds (2006) Handbook of the Birds of the World. HBW_-_Taxonomygif|right|frame|(400 × 258 pixels file size38KBMIME typeimage/gif|HBW-Page on Taxonomy]]HBW-accounts_8-082-083_copia Vol. 11. Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 978-84-96553-06-4
  2. ^ Craig, J. (1972) "Investigation of the mechanism maintaining polymorphism in the New Zealand fantail, Rhipidura fuliginosa" (Sparrman), Notornis 19(1):42-55 [1]
  3. ^ Noske, R. A. (1996) "Abundance, Zonation and Foraging Ecology of Birds in Mangroves of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory" Wildlife Research 23(4): 443 - 474
  4. ^ McLean I. G. (1989) "Feeding behaviour of the fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa)" Notornis 36(2): 99-106 [2]

External links

Dictionary

fantail

-noun

  1. Any of several birds, of the genus Rhipidura, from Asia and Australia
  2. Any of several domestic varieties of pigeon having a fan-shaped tail
  3. Any of several goldfish having a large fan-shaped tail
  4. (nautical) An overhanging deck at the stern of a ship
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