Enicurus velatus
The Sunda Forktail, *Enicurus velatus*, is a striking member of the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), renowned for its elegant black-and-white plumage and distinctively forked tail. Measuring approximately 16-18 cm in length and weighing around 20-25 grams, this medium-sized passerine is easily identified by its unique "hooded" appearance: a crisp white crown and nape contrasting sharply with its otherwise glossy black head, back, and wings. A prominent white rump and a broad white ...
Found exclusively along shaded, rocky, fast-flowing mountain streams and rivers within primary or mature secondary rainforests, typically at mid-elevations.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on aquatic insects (larvae of mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies) and other small invertebrates, occasionally small fish or tadpoles.
Sunda Forktails are primarily diurnal, solitary or paired birds that spend their days actively foraging along the banks and in the shallow waters of forest streams. Their distinctive tail-wagging behavior is a near-constant motion, though its precise function (communication, balance, or disturban...
The Sunda Forktail is an endemic resident of the Greater Sunda Islands in Southeast Asia, maintaining a relatively restricted and non-migratory distribution. Its primary breeding and year-round range encompasses Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Borneo. This includes the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sa...
Least Concern
- The species name "velatus" is Latin for "veiled" or "hooded," referring to its distinctive white cap that looks like a veil over its head and nape. - Sunda Forktails are known for their almost continuous tail-wagging motion, a characteristic shared with other forktail species, but whose exact p...