Rhipidura kubaryi
The Pohnpei Fantail (Rhipidura kubaryi) is a diminutive and highly energetic passerine endemic to the lush forests of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Measuring approximately 14-16 cm in length and weighing a mere 8-12 grams, its sooty-black plumage is punctuated by a striking white supercilium, often extending into a faint malar streak, and a small white spot on each side of the bill, providing key identification marks. Its most distinctive feature is its long, broad tail, constantly...
Exclusively found in native and secondary lowland to montane forest habitats on Pohnpei Island, Federated States of Micronesia, typically below 800 meters elevation.
Primarily an insectivore, feeding on a variety of small flying insects such as flies, moths, beetles, and small spiders, caught in mid-air or gleaned from vegetation.
This fantail is ceaselessly active during daylight hours, flitting through the understory and mid-canopy with a characteristic jerky flight and constant tail fanning. It is primarily an aerial insectivore, employing a 'hawking' strategy to snatch insects in flight, often making rapid, acrobatic m...
The Pohnpei Fantail is strictly endemic to the volcanic island of Pohnpei, located in the Federated States of Micronesia, situated in the western Pacific Ocean. Its entire global distribution is confined to this single island, where it is a resident species year-round. It inhabits both the native...
Least Concern
- The Pohnpei Fantail is one of just four bird species endemic to Pohnpei, highlighting the island's unique evolutionary isolation. - Its scientific name, *kubaryi*, honors Jan S. Kubary, a Polish naturalist and ethnographer who collected specimens in the Pacific in the late 19th century. - Despi...