Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) [XC699255]
by James Lambert from Lee Point, Darwin Municipality, Northern Territory, Australia (song)
Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) [XC644221]
by James Lambert from Charles Darwin University, Darwin Municipality, Northern Territory, Australia (song)
Nest
Cup-shaped, with a tail, composed of fibre and strips of bark bound with cobweb, usually 3 meters above the ground, but sometimes higher.
Eggs (Guide)
2, sometimes 3; cream with a zone of dull brown spots and underlying grey towards the larger end; long-oval; about 18 x 14 mm.
Young
Altricial, nidicolous. Tended by both sexes.
Birds from Tayandu Is (southern Moluccas) described as subspecies perneglecta, considered indistinguishable from assimilis. Subspecies hoedti has been listed as buettikoferi, described almost simultaneously from a different island; they have even been considered as two separate subspecies, but validity is questioned.
The following 20 subspecies are recognised:
vidua Salvadori & Turati, 1874 - Kofiau, in western Papuan Is.
gularis Müller, S, 1843 - Western Papuan Is (except Kofiau), New Guinea, including islands in Geelvink Bay (except Biak), Manam I, Goodenough I and Fergusson I, and islands in Torres Strait.
kordensis Meyer, AB, 1874 - Biak I. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Biak Fantail (Rhipidura kordensis).
niveiventris Rothschild & Hartert, 1914 - Admiralty Is (Manus, Rambutyo).
mussai Rothschild & Hartert, 1924 - Mussau I, in St Matthias Group.
setosa (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832) - New Hanover, New Ireland and Djaul I.
gigantea Stresemann, 1933 - Tabar Is and Lihir Is (off eastern New Ireland).
tangensis Mayr, 1955 - Boang, in Tanga Is (between Tabar and Lihir).
finschii Salvadori, 1882 - New Britain and Duke of York I.
obiensis Salvadori, 1876 - Obi I (south of Halmahera). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Obi Fantail (Rhipidura obiensis).
bouruensis Wallace, 1863 - Buru I. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Buru Fantail (Rhipidura bouruensis).
cinerea Wallace, 1865 - Seram and Ambon. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Seram Fantail (Rhipidura cinerea).
finitima Hartert, 1918 - Watubela Is (Tioor, Kasiui).
assimilis Gray, GR, 1858 - Tayandu Is and Kai Is (Kai Besar, Kai Kecil). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Kai Fantail (Rhipidura assimilis).
pallidiceps Hartert, 1904 - Wetar (in eastern Lesser Sundas).
hoedti Büttikofer, 1892 - Eastern Lesser Sundas (Romang, Damar, Leti, Moa, Sermata). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Banda Fantail (Rhipidura hoedti).
rufiventris (Vieillot, 1818) - Timor.
tenkatei Büttikofer, 1892 - Roti (off south-western Timor). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Roti Fantail (Rhipidura tenkatei).
isura Gould, 1841 - Northern Australia from about Broome (in northern western Australia) eastern across Top End to north-eastern Queensland (south to vicinity of Proserpine). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Northern Fantail (Rhipidura isura).
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9