Arafura Fantail Rhipidura dryas Scientific name definitions

16–17 cm; 7.2–10 g. Nominate has forehead dull mid rufous, crown and mantle mid gray brown, remainder of upperparts rufous; upperwing gray brown; tail slate gray, narrow rufous band at base (not extending to outermost feather pair), outer rectrices extensively tipped white (36% of feather); chin and throat white, breastband black with moderate white scaling on posterior edge, belly creamy white, flanks and undertail coverts light cinnamon; iris dark brown; bill black, underside of mandible pale pink; legs dark grayish brown to black. Sexes alike. Juvenile is duller than adult, with markings less distinct.

Rhipidura dryas Gould, 1843, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 10(1842):132. Type locality given as "Port Essington, north coast of Australia" (1 Gould, J. (1843). Exhibition and description of thirty new species of Australian birds. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 10(1842):131-140 Close ).

Synonyms:

Rhipidura rufifrons parryi Mathews, 1912, Novitates Zoologicae 18(3):320. Type locality given as "North-West Australia" (2 Mathews, G. M. (1912). A reference-list to the birds of Australia. Novitates Zoologicae 18:171–455, 607–656. Close ).

Arafura Fantail

The taxonomic and classification history of Arafura Fantail, and indeed all fantails previously treated as part of the Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons) complex, is confusing and is still not fully resolved. Arafura Fantail is often treated as conspecific with Supertramp Fantail (Rhipidura semicollaris) of western New Guinea and Wallacea, and together, these two species have also often been treated as conspecific with the former Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons). Supertramp Fantail and Arafura Fantail are treated as separate species largely on the basis of song differences (with Supertramp Fantail having a more complex tinkling song; 3 Eaton, J. A., B. van Balen, N. W. Brickle, and F. E. Rheindt (2021). Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea. Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ), genetic divergence (4 Klicka, L. B., L. C. Campillo, J. D. Manthey, M. J. Andersen, J. P. Dumbacher, C. E. Filardi, L. Joseph, J. A. Uy, D. E. Weidemann, and R. G. Moyle (2023). Genomic and geographic diversification of a "great speciator" (Rhipidura rufifrons). Ornithology 140:1-18 Close ), and strong plumage differences between Arafura Fantail and the closest subspecies of Supertramp Fantail (nominate semicollaris is very similar to Arafura Fantail, but subspecies form a leapfrog pattern of successively more distinct plumages moving from west to east as they approach the range of Arafura Fantail; 3 Eaton, J. A., B. van Balen, N. W. Brickle, and F. E. Rheindt (2021). Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea. Second edition. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ).

In a molecular phylogeny that used thousands of markers from ultraconserved elements (UCEs), Arafura Fantail was found to be sister to Supertramp Fantail (Rhipidura semicollaris). Together, these two species appeared to be sister to the rest of the Rufous Fantail species complex, which includes Louisiade Fantail (Rhipidura louisiadensis), Santa Cruz Fantail (Rhipidura melaenolaema), and Gilolo Fantail (Rhipidura torrida) (6 Nyári, Á. S., B. W. Benz, K. A. Jønsson, J. Fjeldså, and R. G. Moyle (2009). Phylogenetic relationships of fantails (Aves: Rhipiduridae). Zoologica Scripta 38(6):553–561. Close , 4 Klicka, L. B., L. C. Campillo, J. D. Manthey, M. J. Andersen, J. P. Dumbacher, C. E. Filardi, L. Joseph, J. A. Uy, D. E. Weidemann, and R. G. Moyle (2023). Genomic and geographic diversification of a "great speciator" (Rhipidura rufifrons). Ornithology 140:1-18 Close ).

Northern Australia from Collier Bay east, including Melville Island, Truant Island, and Groote Eylandt, to east coast of Gulf of Carpentaria, as well as western and southeastern New Guinea.

Mangroves, coastal wooded habitats, monsoon woodland, primary and secondary lowland and hill forest, forest edge, and montane forest; occasionally plantations and other cultivated areas. Occurs in a variety of altitudes, including near sea-level in Australia.

Insects, particularly bugs (Hemiptera), hymenopterans, lepidopterans, flies (Diptera) and beetles (Coleoptera); prey in length range 1–7 mm. Forages from ground to canopy, mainly in understory to lower middle stage. Joins mixed-species foraging flocks.

Vocal Array

Presumably similar to the Supertramp Fantail (Rhipidura semicollaris), for which the song a series of 5–8 moderately high pitched, descending whistling notes, “seep-seep-seeper seep-sep,” varying geographically in richness, cadence, and speed; calls a whistled mellow “huit,” a twitter in flight, a single short, high-pitched squeaky note; soft “chip-it” contact call.

Season September–March in Australia (7 Noske, R.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (2018). Nest, eggs and breeding season of the Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas). Northern Territory Naturalist. 28(1): 12–22. Close ).

Site Characteristics

Nest placed in small fork on horizontal branch or twig near end of branch, usually less than 3 m from ground (or water) (7 Noske, R.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (2018). Nest, eggs and breeding season of the Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas). Northern Territory Naturalist. 28(1): 12–22. Close ).

Construction Process

Nest is built by both sexes (7 Noske, R.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (2018). Nest, eggs and breeding season of the Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas). Northern Territory Naturalist. 28(1): 12–22. Close ).

Structure and Composition

Nest is a small cup of thin strips of decaying wood fibers and lined with rootlets, wiry tendrils, pieces of thin flat grass and decaying wood fibers, bound externally with spider web, usually with “tail” hanging from underside or sides (7 Noske, R.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (2018). Nest, eggs and breeding season of the Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas). Northern Territory Naturalist. 28(1): 12–22. Close ).

Dimensions

External diameter 51–57 mm, depth 38–42 mm (7 Noske, R.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (2018). Nest, eggs and breeding season of the Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas). Northern Territory Naturalist. 28(1): 12–22. Close ), internal diameter 32 mm, depth 25 mm.

Size

15.3–17 mm × 11.9–13.2 mm (7 Noske, R.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (2018). Nest, eggs and breeding season of the Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas). Northern Territory Naturalist. 28(1): 12–22. Close ).

Color and Surface Texture

Eggs are cream, off-white or buff, with small brown, yellow-brown or reddish-brown spots (and often underlying dull bluish-gray markings) forming wreath near larger end (7 Noske, R.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (2018). Nest, eggs and breeding season of the Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas). Northern Territory Naturalist. 28(1): 12–22. Close ).

Clutch Size

2–3 eggs (7 Noske, R.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (2018). Nest, eggs and breeding season of the Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas). Northern Territory Naturalist. 28(1): 12–22. Close ).

Parental Behavior

Incubation by both sexes.

Incubation Period

14–17 days.

Fledging period 11–12 days.

The young cared for by both parents.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Common to moderately common in Australia and presumably similar in the rest of its range, although information is needed. No evidence to suggest that species might be threatened on global scale.