White-bellied Thicket Fantail

Overview

The white-bellied thicket fantail, Rhipidura leucothorax, is a medium-sized bird in the family Rhipiduridae. It is one of 47 species in the genus Rhipidura and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. This species is native to New Guinea.

Identification

• 18 cm long blackish bird with a white belly, white spots on the chest, wings, and side of the neck, plus a white tail tip and a short white stripe above the eye.
• Dark legs ranging from dark gray to black, with a tail that is frequently upturned and fanned out.
• A descending sound followed by a high ringing note described as 'juu-wee!'.

Habitat

Found in New Guinea, including Kairiru and Muschu islands, this species inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and mangrove forests. It frequents forest thickets on plains and hills up to 1350 m elevation, as well as shrubs, thickets bordering watercourses, light forests, forest swamps, mangrove edges, and gardens.

Diet

As an entomophage, it feeds on insects usually within a few meters of the ground. Approximately 40% of its prey is harvested, while 20% is caught on the fly.

Did you know?

Despite the ability of many fantails to undertake long migrations, the white-bellied thicket fantail is a very weak flyer that must alight regularly. It is also notoriously secretive, making it difficult to spot in the wild.