Palau Fantail Rhipidura lepida Scientific name definitions

18 cm. Has crown and upperparts cinnamon-rufous, rump slightly lighter, lores dusky grey, orbital ring and ear-coverts dark brown; remiges dusky brown, inner secondaries, secondary coverts and scapulars edged with cinnamon-rufous, median and lesser wing-coverts cinnamon-rufous; rectrices dusky black with rufous bases and extensive rufous tips; chin, upper throat and malar region white, lower throat and upper breast black becoming greyer on sides (forming broad band), lower breast white, belly and undertail-coverts light cinnamon-rufous; iris dark brown; bill blackish, base of lower mandible whitish; legs brownish. Sexes similar, female slightly smaller than male. Juvenile has upperparts brown, body feathers narrowly tipped rufous, wing-coverts broadly edged rufous; immature like adult, but head and neck brown, throat dingy white, breast patch washed with cinnamon.

Palau Is: Babelthuap, Koror, Urukthapel, Eil Malk and Peleliu.

Song  of chirps and squeaks, a succession of syllables on same pitch, each with downward inflection, described as “like sound of heavy piece of furniture being rolled on wooden casters”; also loud, squeaky downward-inflected call notes, “keee-up!” and “queeer”; also rhythmic “kéé-keer-kew”; loud harsh scolding notes.

Season not documented. During possible courtship activity, one individual displays in front of another by holding fully fanned tail cocked over back. Nest a tightly woven cup, with pendent “tail” several centimetres long, placed in fork; one nest contained a single young. No other information.