New Zealand fantail
| New Zealand fantail | |
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| J. G. Keulemans illustration for | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Rhipiduridae |
| Genus: | Rhipidura |
| Species: | R. fuliginosa |
| Binomial name | |
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Rhipidura fuliginosa Sparrman, 1787 |
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The New Zealand fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) is a small insectivorous bird. A common fantail found in the South Island of New Zealand, also in the North Island as subspecies Rhipidura fuliginosa placabilis, the Chatham Islands as Rhipidura fuliginosa penita and formerly (now extinct) the Lord Howe Island as Rhipidura fuliginosa cervina. Also known as the pied fantail (pied morph only) or by its Maori name, Pīwakawaka, Tīwakawaka or Piwaiwaka. The species is considered by many to be conspecific (the same) as the grey fantail of Australia and New Caledonia, however due to differences in its calls some authorities now treat it as a separate species.
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 that 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.
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.
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Wikipedia