Rhipidura atra
The Black Fantail (Rhipidura atra) is a striking, small passerine bird endemic to the island of New Guinea and the Aru Islands, known for its distinctive, almost entirely glossy black plumage. Males are uniformly iridescent black, often with a subtle white spot at the carpal joint, while females may exhibit a slightly duller or sooty-brownish hue, though still predominantly dark. Measuring about 16-18 cm in length, including its famously long, fanned tail, and weighing a mere 10-15 grams, it ...
This species primarily inhabits moist montane and hill forests, ranging from 800m to 2000m in elevation, favoring both primary and secondary growth, often near streams.
The Black Fantail is an insectivore, primarily feeding on small flying insects caught in mid-air (aerial hawking) and gleaned from foliage.
Black Fantails are perpetually active, exhibiting the characteristic fantail behavior of constantly fanning and wagging their long tails as they flit through the understory and mid-canopy. They are agile aerial insectivores, darting from perches to snatch insects in mid-air with acrobatic precisi...
The Black Fantail is endemic to the island of New Guinea and the adjacent Aru Islands. Within New Guinea, its distribution is widespread across the main mountain ranges, including the Arfak Mountains in the northwest, the Central Cordillera (e.g., Star Mountains, Owen Stanley Range), and other is...
Least Concern
- The Black Fantail is one of the darkest species in its genus, with males appearing almost entirely glossy black, distinguishing it from many fantails with prominent white markings. - Its name comes from its habit of constantly fanning and wagging its long, graduated tail, an iconic fantail beha...