Family Fantails (Rhipiduridae)
Least Concern
Kai Fantail (Rhipidura assimilis)
Taxonomy
French: Rhipidure des Kai German: Keifächerschwanz Spanish: Abanico de las Kai
Taxonomy:
Rhipidura assimilis
G. R. Gray
, 1858,Kai Islands
.
Subspecies and Distribution
R. a. finitima
E. J. O. Hartert, 1918 – Watubela Is (Tioor, Kasiui), in S Moluccas.
R. a. assimilis
G. R. Gray, 1858 – Tayandu Is and Kai Is (Kai Besar, Kai Kecil), in S Moluccas.
Descriptive notes
c. 16–18 cm. Male nominate race has distinctive long white supercilium, grey forehead to nape and sides of head; upperparts brownish grey with olive-brown tinge, remiges dark... read more
Voice
Song is a continuous series of alternating metallic notes, “tee-two-tee-two-tee-two…”, at pace of c... read more
Habitat
Mainly in rainforest and mangroves; also woodland edge, and extends into areas of woodland regrowth... read more
Food and feeding
Little information. Presumably takes insects and spiders, as do congeners. Forages alone or in pairs. Joins mixed-species flocks.
Breeding
One seen carrying nesting material in late Apr and another observed nestbuilding in Oct. No further information.
Movements
Resident.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Restricted-range species: confined to a tiny part of the Banda Sea islands EBA. Common to moderately common within its small range.... read more
One of several taxa recently split from R. rufiventris#R (which see). Differs from all other taxa in that complex by various characters in unique combination: bold white supercilium; white throat; pale grey breastband with very indistinct white streaks; pale tan belly to vent; buffy tips of tail; and brownish-grey upperparts. Differs in particular from geographically closest representative of rufiventris complex, R. cinerea, in its bold white supercilium (3); much more diffuse, paler breastband (3); pale tan vs white belly (ns[2]); buffy vs very slight white tail tips (3); and browner upperparts (1). Differs from morphologically closest representative, nominate R. isura, in its bold white supercilium (3); much more diffusely streaked breastband (2); buffy vs large white tail tips (3); browner upperparts (ns[1]); and rather larger size (allow 1). Two subspecies recognized.