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Grey Fantail

(Rhipidura fuliginosa)
Alternative names: "White-shafted Fantail", "White-shafted Flycatcher", "Snapper", "Mad Fan", "Cranky Fan", "Devil-bird", "Land Wagtail"
Size: 14-17 cm

Habitat
(for details refer to a field guide)

There are five races of Grey Fantails, of which four are migratory. Their migration patterns are complex and the birds' range during and outside their breeding seasons is very different. For details see a field guide. Only race "keasti", which is found in two areas in the tablelands of central and northern QLD, is sedentary. All others migrate. Averaged over a whole year and all races, Grey Fantails can possibly be found almost anywhere on the Australian continent, including Tasmania, except the Nullarbor and the north-western Gibson Desert, WA. Generally speaking, during their breeding season they are concentrated in the south-east of the continent, the south-west and an ellipsoidal-shaped area from the south-west of WA through central WA into the southern NT, with both Alice Springs, NT, and Kalgoorlie, WA, near the southern edge of the very elongated ellipse.

Grey Fantails can be found in open forest and woodland, often near breaks or edges of the vegetation where they hunt for insects in open space.

Sightings

During the summers of 2003-2006 we occasionally saw Grey Fantails (subspecies "alisteri") 20 km south of Narrabri, NSW, hunting insects from perches (e.g. branches of trees facing open terrain). Much more widespread occurrences in early spring of 2006 than in the years before.

Seen and heard many times since in bushland at Mt. Kaputar National Park, Deriah Forest, and other areas in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range near Narrabri. Re-appeared, after a very mild winter, already in early August 2008.

Also sighted on a trip to the east of the Great Dividing Range, in the area from Dorrigo to Hat Head, NSW. Seen and photographed by C. Kellenberg in Guy Fawkes River National Park, NSW, in February 2009.

Also seen by us in large numbers in various locations in central QLD, especially in coastal areas, in July 2009.

Photos

Near-frontal view of a Grey Fantail (subspecies "alisteri"); note the buff front and the typical white margin of the outer tail feather

Here a bird seen at Dorrigo NP

Lateral view of a Grey Fantail

View of the underparts of a Grey Fantail; note the prominent whiskers

Frontal view of a Grey Fantail; note the buff breast and underparts

Lateral view of a Grey Fantail

Here a view of the fanned tail giving the bird its name

Frontal view of a young bird

Here a young bird preening

Three fledgling Grey Fantails waiting to be fed; photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg

Here the fight for the best place is starting; photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg

This time the chick in the middle gets the insect; photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg

Here another pair of fledglings; a third sibling was seen in this case too

Might as well use the time until the next juicy insect is delivered...

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Dispersive/migratory Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

If any bird deserves the description as being hyperactive, this is the one. They hardly sit still long enough for a photo exposure. They live in dense young cypress pine growth in the bush; so far we have not seen a Grey Fantail out in open farmland.

Food

Like all other members of the Rhipidura family known to us, Grey Fantails are insect hunters.