Black-backed Forktail Enicurus immaculatus Scientific name definitions

20–25 cm; 25–29 g. Long, deeply forked but evenly graduated tail with white tips, outer feathers entirely white. Has black head and throat, white mask (forehead to eyes), black back and wings, broad white wing patch and small flash at base of primaries; white underside ; bill black, legs pinkish. Sexes similar. Juvenile is brownish-black above, no white mask, shorter tail, dark scaling on breast.

Sides and centres of rocky hill streams and fast-flowing rivers with uncovered rock shoals, muddy margins and waterfalls in dense damp forest, including teak forest; lowlands to 1450 m in W of range, to 900 m in E.

Insects. In study in Nepal, 39% of observations of foraging position involved marginal rocks, 28% shoals or marginal ground, 22% riparian ground, 5·5% other areas of river, and 5·5% mid-river rocks; foraging techniques involving picking prey 39% from shoals or mud, 30% from rocks, 18% from riparian ground or vegetation, and rest in or on water or on riverbed, and in air.

Short song delivered from rock. Calls include squeaky-hinge “weeng” (identical to that of E. schistaceus), hollow “huu” and shrill “zeee” (slightly higher than that of E. schistaceus), sometimes combined as “hurt-zeee”, and a disyllabic note when flushed and sometimes from cover.