Enicurus leschenaulti
The White-crowned Forktail, *Enicurus leschenaulti*, is a striking member of the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), instantly recognizable by its bold black and white plumage and characteristically long, deeply forked tail. Measuring 25-28 cm (10-11 in) in length, including its prominent tail, and weighing around 30-40 grams, it boasts a jet-black body contrasting sharply with a brilliant white crown, white wing-patch, and a white rump. Its most distinctive feature, the tail, is blac...
This species primarily inhabits the banks of fast-flowing mountain streams and rocky rivers within dense evergreen and deciduous forests, typically at elevations ranging from 200 to 2000 meters.
Their diet consists almost exclusively of aquatic insects, including larvae and adults of mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, and beetles, supplemented with small crustaceans and other invertebrates found in or near fast-flowing water.
White-crowned Forktails are diurnal birds, usually observed singly or in pairs, exhibiting a constant, almost obsessive, up-and-down tail wagging motion while foraging. They are highly territorial, defending specific stretches of stream from conspecifics, with territorial disputes involving aggre...
The White-crowned Forktail has a widespread distribution across the Oriental biogeographic realm. Its breeding range extends from the Himalayan foothills of Northeast India (Uttarakhand eastwards) and southern China, through Southeast Asia including Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and...
Least Concern
- The White-crowned Forktail's scientific name honors the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour. - Its characteristic tail-wagging motion, a hallmark of all forktails, is thought to help flush out hidden prey or perhaps signal its presence to rivals or mates. - They are incredibl...