Bird guideMangrove Fantail

Small pale gray flycatcher, exclusively coastal and usually observed in or very close to mangroves.

⚠️Not listed
🍃Indigenous: Mangrove Grey Fantail

At a glance

FamilyFantails
SizeTiny
RarityUncommon
HabitatSmall pale gray flycatcher, exclusively coastal and usually observed in or very close to mangroves.
Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from May to October.

Sounds

Sound sample
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Recorded by James Lambert

Range map

Range map

228visible hotspots
6678visible records
4states
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

Pale 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.

Behavior

Holds tail up and frequently fans it as it forages.

Regional timing

Western Australia
Peak: May to October6,026 records
Queensland
Peak: June to August185 records
Northern Territory
Peak: July to August434 records
New South Wales
Peak: May3 records

Commonly confused with

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