New Zealand Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa Scientific name definitions

14–17 cm; 6·5–9 g. New Zealand populations have two colour morphs, which co-occur in some areas; pied morph more common, black morph comprising 12–25% of South I birds, less than 1% of North I birds, absent in Chatham Is birds. Male nominate race (pied morph) has forehead sooty black, crown and nape dark greyish-black, remaining upperparts olive-brown; face grey-black, lores darker, superciliary streak white, side of face dark greyish-black; upperwing dark brown, greater and median wing-coverts tipped buffy white (double wingbar), inner secondaries edged buffy white; central rectrices brownish-black with white shafts and tips, rectrices 2–5 white with outer webs edged brownish-black, outer rectrices grey-white; chin and throat greyish-white, upper breast with sooty-grey band, remaining underparts light rusty buff; iris dark brown; bill black, sometimes pale base of lower mandible; legs dark. Black morph has head and nape grey-black, remaining upperparts black, small white postocular spot of variable size (may be larger in male), sometimes extending below orbit; remiges dark brown, wing-coverts black, tinged rusty brown, tail black; throat greyish-black, underparts brown. Female is like male, but smaller and paler. Immature is like respective adult: pied morph has face paler, supercilium with rusty wash, upperparts and wing-coverts tipped rusty; black morph has supercilium rufous-brown, body feathers and wing-coverts tipped rusty brown; juvenile of both duller, feathers washed and tipped with buff-rufous. Ratios of morphs among young of black parents is 3 black:1 pied, of black × pied parents 1:1, of pied parents 98 pied:2 black. Race <em>placabilis</em> pied morph is slightly paler than nominate, with white on tail restricted to tips of central rectrices, and undertail darker, dark morph similar to nominate; penita has central rectrices broadly tipped white, rectrices 2–5 with broad white strip between shaft and narrow black edge of outer webs; extinct cervina had supercilium and throat light tawny-buff, breastband absent, tail dark brown-grey, outer rectrices narrowly edged white.

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.

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.

Almost any wooded habitat, both native and introduced, including forests, parks and gardens, farmland, post-logging regeneration, exotic pine plantations. Race cervina reportedly inhabited open forest on Lord Howe I. In New Zealand occurs from coast to 1500 m, up to subalpine regions, scarce in alpine areas; in non-breeding season, shifts from higher elevations to drier habitats.

Mainly resident throughout year, except for post-breeding shift from highlands to lower altitudes; capacity for longer movement demonstrated by colonization of Snares Is by nominate race from South I during late 1970s. Sedentary in Chatham Is and (formerly) Lord Howe I. Sometimes forms large flocks of 20–200 birds in lowlands, during non-breeding season, in New Zealand.

Diet consists of insects, normally flying ones; particularly Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (flies), Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths) and Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants), all of which are taken by at least 50% of birds; less commonly consumed are Neuroptera (lacewings), Ephemeroptera (mayflies) and Hemiptera (bugs), which are taken by at least 20%. Also spiders; occasionally eats seeds. Scans for prey by means of static searching from vantage point, less often by disturbing prey through progressive searching in foliage; once located, most prey captured by bird in flight (73–100%), particularly by flycatching (49-c. 100%); flights may be dives, ascents or sweeps; may capture more than one item on a sally. Less often flying bird takes prey from surface of vegetation; gleaning may constitute c. 30% of captures. Holds larger prey against perch to subdue or dismember it. Feeds at all levels, from ground to canopy: in New Zealand studies, 3–17% of foraging on ground, 11–38% from below 1 m to 1·5 m, 4–31% in middle storey (1·5–3 m), 15–58% in upper storey (3–6 m), 7–17% above 6 m (including in canopy), 6–7% above canopy; height varies seasonally, lower in winter, from higher perches when breeding. Generally uses different perches for different feeding methods: when static searching, mostly uses dead perch; when progressive searching , primarily uses live twigs and branches . In several studies in New Zealand, twigs 42–45%, small branches 11–37%, foliage 3–27%, tree trunks 1–8% and ground 12–17%; on ground more often during May–Aug, aerially more often Sept–Nov. Joins mixed feeding flocks comprising a range of small insectivorous species; most often in non-breeding season. Observed to follow another bird, remaining within 1 m of it, capturing flushed insects; in New Zealand follows Saddleback (Philesturnus carunculatus) at c. 50 cm, usually behind and below it, using larger perches and feeding at higher level when in such association. Will also feed around horses, cattle or humans.

Both sexes sing, female less than male; may sing on nest. Song , combinations of two note types, “cheep” and “buzz”, in series of short, moderately loud notes and then very short, louder, higher notes. Two song types: the first of 10–15 notes followed by loud repeated series of pairs of notes, then 1–2 final notes; the second type similar but first phrase shorter (5–7 notes) and second comprising repetitions of same 4–6 notes. Contact note a repeated single “tweet”; rapid piping notes as alarm.

In New Zealand, Aug–Mar in North I and Sept–Jan in South I; probably late Oct to late Jan in Chatham Is; often 2 or more broods in a season, in New Zealand usually 2–4 and, once (North I), 5 successful broods. Solitary; territorial, disputes involve parallel flights by rivals along territory boundary, followed by perching and displaying while facing each other; mobs mammals, including humans. Courtship consists of aerial chases, and bouts of loud song with shorter periods of display while perched; male feeds female during pair-formation and nest-building. Nest built by both sexes (second and subsequent nests sometimes by female alone), in 2–20 days; a small cup, usually with “tail” hanging from base, external diameter 83–95 mm, made from fine grass and shreds of bark, and sometimes moss, lichen, twigs or other plant material, thickly bound externally with spider web, sometimes with hair or wool, lined with fine grass, rootlets and hair, sometimes plant down, fuzz from fern fronds, bark fibre, moss or feathers; site varies greatly, but usually placed on thin horizontal branch or fork, often sheltered by canopy overhead, sometimes overhanging water, and usually in tree, sapling or shrub but also in artificial structures, from below 1 m to 18·3 m up in New Zealand, at 1·5–5 m on Chatham I; defends territory of 1–4 ha. Clutch in New Zealand 3–4 (mean c. 3·4), on Lord Howe I was 2; eggs white, creamy-white or buffy-white, spotted with light brown, light umber or rufous, often with underlying markings forming cap or wreath around large end, 16–16·5 × 12–14 mm in New Zealand. Incubation usually from final egg, by both sexes, mean stint lengths c. 11·5 minutes, change-over at nest often 1–2 seconds (sitting bird sometimes allowing itself to be touched by observer), incubation period usually 14 days, sometimes 15 days, occasionally less; fledging period usually 10–15 days; young fed and attended by both parents for several weeks after leaving nest; new clutch often started while previous brood still being fed, female then incubates while male feeds fledglings. Frequently parasitized by Long-tailed Koel (Urodynamis taitensis) and Shining Bronze-cuckoo (Chalcites lucidus). In New Zealand, hatching success 77%, and 60% of hatchlings fledged; nest predators include mustelids and rodents, accounting for c. 11–12% of nest failures. Both sexes can breed in first year; male paired with adult may breed only 1–2 months after fledging.

Not globally threatened. Widespread and common in New Zealand (except in unforested areas) and surrounding islands. May have increased owing to ability to adapt to human-modified habitats, although some apparent declines in highly urbanized areas. Colonized Snares Is from South I between 1977 and 1981, since when Snares population has risen to be estimated at more than 300 pairs. Abundant, but with wide fluctuations in numbers, in Chatham Is; declines recorded after prolonged periods of cold or unusually severe climatic conditions. Extinct Lord Howe I race (cervina) formerly common, but extirpated soon after black rats (Rattus rattus) invaded the island following a shipwreck in 1918; apparently became extinct by 1924, not recorded in 1928. In New Zealand, introduced species, including cats, common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), kill adults and young and/or eat eggs; often killed by cars.