Small songbird with long, pale-tipped tail, slim bill.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyFantails
SizeTiny
RarityUncommon
HabitatThe Arafura fantail (Rhipidura dryas), sometimes known as the wood fantail, inhabits the Lesser Sunda Islands, the northern coast of Australia from the Kimberley to the western side of the Cape York Peninsula, including subcoastally in the Top End of the Northern Territory, and southern New Guinea.
Best timeMost reliable in Northern Territory from June to September.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by James Lambert
Range map
Range map
304visible hotspots
6539visible records
3states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Grayish brown above, pale below, with striking red-brown rump and white throat with black border, speckled at lower edge. Frequently cocks and fans tail.
Behavior
Actively forages near the ground in wetter areas with dense vegetation, including mangroves. Song is a short, descending series of high-pitched squeaks.
Gallery
Regional timing
Northern Territory
Western Australia
Queensland
Commonly confused with
Mangrove FantailRhipidura phasianaPale gray head and back, white throat and chin, pale wingbars, and a very thin gray chest band. Compare Gray Fantail, which is larger, darker, and has a wider black chest band, and Northern Fantail, which has a pale-streaked gray chest without a dark narrow band and lacks the pale streak behind the eye.→Northern FantailRhipidura rufiventrisDark gray above, pale below, with a variably dark gray chest band. Often droops tail, showing very long white tips to tail feathers. Gray Fantail has pale wingbars, a narrower thin black breast band, and more prominent eyebrow.→