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Brown-capped Fantail Rhipidura diluta Scientific name definitions

Walter Boles
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2006

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

16·5 cm. Nominate race is dark grey brown above, crown darker and warmer brown, irregular whitish supraloral streak, wings with reddish-brown edging; tail dark grey-brown in centre, otherwise mostly grey-brown or grey-fawn; pale eyering; throat whitish, fading to buffish grey breast which in turn becomes rusty-buff tinged on abdomen; iris dark brown; bill black, pale base of lower mandible; legs dusky brown. Sexes alike. Juvenile undescribed. Race sumbawensis is slightly darker than nominate, edges of remiges brighter red.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Formerly treated as conspecific with R. rufiventris. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Rhipidura diluta sumbawensis Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Sumbawa, in W Lesser Sundas.
SUBSPECIES

Rhipidura diluta diluta Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Flores and Lembata, in WC Lesser Sundas.

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

Forest, both primary and heavily degraded, including moist forest, dry deciduous forest, mangroves; also bamboo thickets, coastal savanna near water, and shrubland dominated by extensive grass cover. Most common in dense forest understorey. Lowlands to 1700 m on Sumbawa; to 2100 m (most numerous above 1000 m) on Flores.

Movement

Resident.

Diet and Foraging

Insects. Forages in understorey. Active; often noisy. Often joins mixed-species foraging flocks.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song is a mixture of sweet and rather unmusical notes; also produces a musical high-pitched single “chingk” note.

Breeding

Breeds early May on Sumbawa; season Feb, May and Jun on Flores. No other information available.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Northern Nusa Tenggara EBA. Common in rainforest and in casuarina (Casuarina) forests; less common in other woodland types.
Distribution of the Brown-capped Fantail - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Brown-capped Fantail

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Boles, W. (2020). Brown-capped Fantail (Rhipidura diluta), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.brcfan1.01
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