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Rufous Fantail
(Rhipidura rufifrons)
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"Wood Fantail", "Rufous Flycatcher", "Rufous-fronted Fantail"
Size: 14-16 cm; wing span 18-22 cm
Weight: 10 g (average)
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Rufous Fantail
at Wikipedia
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
(for details refer to a field guide) |
Click here to display information on habitat,
range and finding this species
Rufous Fantails are breeding migrants to Australia from the
north. There are at least two races, "rufifrons" and
"intermedia", which are found along the east coast of
Australia. It is currently under debate whether "Rhipidura
dryas", the Arafura Fantail, is a race or a separate species.
Nominate race "rufifrons" populates the south-east coast and
the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, from near
the VIC/SA border in the south to the Clarence River valley
in far-northern NSW. To the north of the Clarence River, all
the way up to the eastern half of Cape York peninsula, QLD,
race "intermedia" is found. The range of "Rhipidura dryas",
the Arafura Fantail, extends from the western side of Cape
York peninsula, all across the northern coastal fringe,
including almost all of the Top End of the NT, and up to
the north coast of WA up to Eighty Mile Beach.
Rufous Fantails can be found primarily in rainforest or wet gullies in
dense forest.
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Sightings |
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Rufous Fantails, race "rufifrons", are very rare in the area where
we live, near Narrabri, NSW. So far we have not seen one in this
area yet, but had to go to the east coast to find them.
Click here to display more sighting
information
Rufous Fantails tend to stay in dense underbrush or rainforest on the
eastern side of the Great Dividing Range and are very active (even
more so than their grey
cousins).
Rufous Fantails are regularly spotted by us at Dorrigo NP, north-west NSW,
on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range. Later also observed
in Washpool NP,
north-west NSW.
Also seen and photographed by C. Kellenberg at Gibraltar Range NP, NSW,
in January 2009.
A Rufous Fantail was seen in the hills near Biniguy, NSW, by A. Lines.
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Photos |
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Race "rufifrons"
Lateral view of a Rufous Fantail
[Dorrigo NP,
NSW, January 2011]
Here the Rufous Fantail is seen fanning not only its tail, but also its wings
[Dorrigo NP,
NSW, January 2011]
Lateral view of a Rufous Fantail; photo courtesy of C. Kellenberg
[Gibraltar Range NP,
NSW, January 2009]
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Behaviour |
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| Social behaviour: Territorial |
Mobility: Dispersive/migratory |
Elementary unit: Solitary/pair |
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Food, Diet |
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Like all other members of the Rhipidura family known to us, Rufous
Fantails are insect hunters.
These pages are largely based on our own observations. For more salient
facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.