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Rhipidura fuliginosa
This small native NZ bird (15-18cm long) is very similar in habit to the Pied Wagtail found commonly in Britain - however, as the name suggests, this bird fans its tail, in flight and at rest, rather than 'wagging' it. They Grey Fantail is the most southerly of the Fantail species which range across Australiasia. There are two colour morphs of the Grey Fantail in NZ, a rare black and the more common pied fantail as pictured here. The fanned white tail is very distinctive. A grey/brown upper body and creamy coloured chest, is accentuated with white stripes above and behind the eye, as well as one under the beak. They are impossible to confuse with any other NZ bird, due to their unique tail fan and the fact that you will normally see them within a couple of metres. They are one of the most sociable birds in NZ, and will normally come close to 'greet' you as you pass through their patch. They tend to be very vocal and communicate in a string of 'cheeps' and 'tweeta-tweeta-tweeta' which if mimicked, they will usually respond to, and approach closer. Main diet is small insects and invertebrates.
The three sub-species of Fantail (North Island, South Island, Chatham Island) are widely distributed across NZ. They can be found in almost any habitat scrub, native or exotic trees, parks gardens. They will feed flitting amongst the trees but also on the ground. They would appear to move around following food sources as they can be absent for several months of the year and then seen regularly for extended periods.
These are one of my favourite birds. They are completely unafraid of humans and always very inquisitive. They come so close you almost feel as if they might land on you - never have to date! Only one image here because they almost never stop and so are quite tricky to take a focussed photo of!
Spotted on Sep 22, 2017
Submitted on Jun 16, 2018
12 Comments
Great timing and great shot mam....
Thank you Michael, much appreciated.
I had a similar moment with Dijana Sirhartlek''s Nuthatch last week
Congrats on SOTD !!! Really great capture. Made my week :)
Thank you Daniele and to everyone else for your kind comments. This little guy has been my screen saver on my laptop for a month or two, he will now give me even more pleasure! Happy to have shared. SOTW has made my day!
Adorable and beautiful. Well done!
Congratulations Rach on your SOTW. Perfect timing on this image and such a typical pose when seen walking in the bush.
Great shot Rachel,perfect timing,congrats on the well deserved SOTW and thanks for sharing
Cratulations on the SOTW !
Rachel, congratulations! Your New Zealand Fantail has been voted Spotting of the Week. A well timed shot illustrating the bird's name, a species with character, and some great personal observations won you the vote. Your great documentation on all your spottings was mentioned as well.
"Caught is action! With its distinctive and often displayed fanned tail, our Spotting of the Week is one of New Zealand's best known birds. Highly active, vocal and not shy, the New Zealand fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) is the most southern of all fantail species. Fantails (genus Rhipidura, family Rhipiduridae) are small insectivorous birds found in Australasia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent".
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That is a wonderful shot of (as you say) a very busy little bird species - nicely done !
Thanks for your nomination Ashley, most un-expected!
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!