Arafura Fantail

Overview

The Arafura fantail, sometimes known as the wood fantail, is a bird species within the genus Rhipidura. It is generally duller than the rufous fantail, with rufous colouration more restricted to specific parts of its plumage. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.

Identification

• Generally duller than the rufous fantail with rufous colouration more restricted.
• Similar in appearance to the rufous fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons), its closest relative.

Habitat

This species inhabits the Lesser Sunda Islands, the northern coast of Australia from the Kimberley to the western side of the Cape York Peninsula, and southern New Guinea. It is typically found in mangroves, coastal woodland, and primary and secondary low-level forest. The species tolerates a wide altitudinal range, from near sea level to around 2000 metres in the Timor region.

Did you know?

The Arafura fantail forms a superspecies with the rufous fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons) and Rhipidura semirubra, with all three species often considered conspecific.