Fantail
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217033163
2008-06-04T09:31:26Z
Nicolás10
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{{otheruses}}
{{Taxobox
| name = Fantails
| image = Grey fantail3444.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| image_caption = [[Grey Fantail]] (''Rhipidura fuliginosa'')
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
| classis = [[Aves]]
| ordo = [[Passeriformes]]
| subordo = [[Passeri]]
| familia = '''Rhipiduridae'''
| genus = '''''Rhipidura'''''
| genus_authority = [[Thomas Horsfield|Horsfield]] and [[Nicholas Aylward Vigors|Vigors]], [[1827]]
| subdivision_ranks = [[Species]]
| subdivision =
Over 40, see text
}}
'''Fantails''' are small [[insectivorous]] [[bird]]s of southern [[Asia]] and [[Australasia]] belonging to the [[genus]] '''''Rhipidura''''' in the [[monotypic]] [[family (biology)|family]] '''Rhipiduridae'''. Most of the species are about 15 to 18 cm long, specialist aerial feeders, and named as "fantails", but the [[Australia]]n [[Willie Wagtail]], is a little larger, and though still an expert hunter of [[insect]]s on the wing, concentrates equally on terrestrial prey.
The true [[wagtail]]s are part of the genus ''[[Motacilla]]'' in the family [[Motacillidae]] and are not particularly close relatives of the fantails.
==Description==
The fantails are small bodied (11.5-21 cm long) birds with long tails; in some species the tail is longer than the body and in most the tail is longer than the wing.<ref name = "Boles">Boles, W.E. (2006). Family Rhipiduridae (Fantails). Pp 200-244 in: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. & Christie, D.A. eds (2006) ''[[Handbook of the Birds of the World]]''. Vol. 11. Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 978-84-96553-06-4</ref> When the tail is folded it is rounded at the end, but when spread in display or aerial foraging it has a characteristic fan shape that gives the family its name.
Fantails adopt a hunched horizontal posture most of the time, with the wings drooped and held away from the body and the tail half cocked. There are some exceptions to this, particularly the [[Northern Fantail]] of New Guinea and the [[Cockerell's Fantail]] of the [[Solomon Islands]], which have a more upright posture reminiscent of the [[monarch flycatcher]]s.
The wings of fantails are tapered and have sacrificed speed for agility, making fantails highly efficient at catching insect prey. Overall the fantails are strong [[bird flight|fliers]], and some species can undertake long migrations, but the thicket-fantails ([[Sooty Thicket-fantail]], [[White-bellied Thicket-fantail]] and [[Black Thicket-fantail]]) are very weak fliers, and need to alight regularly.
The [[beak|bills]] of fantails are typical for arial insect eating birds, being flat and triangular. The gape is surrounded by two rows of [[rictal]] bristles which are long, often as long as the bill.The bills of most species are fairly weak, limiting fantails to softer insects, although the more terrestrial Willie Wagtail has a relatively stronger bill.
The [[plumage]] of most fantails shows some variation, most species are relatively uniform with some markings.<ref name = "Boles"/> A few species, such as the [[Rennell Fantail]], have uniform plumage, while others have striking if sombre patterns. The colours of most species are greys, blacks, whites and browns, although a few species have yellow or even striking blue feathers. In most species there is no [[sexual dimorphism]] in plumage; the notable exception being the [[Black Fantail]] of [[New Guinea]] where the male has all-over black plumage and the female is almost entirely rufous. In a few species, such as the [[New Zealand]] race of the [[Grey Fantail]] (sometimes elevated to a full species), there exist two colour morphs, the common pied morph and the rarer black morph (which is most common on the [[South Island]]).<ref>Craig, J. (1972) "Investigation of the mechanism maintaining polymorphism in the New Zealand fantail, ''Rhipidura fuliginosa''" (Sparrman), ''Notornis'' '''19'''(1):42-55 [http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_19-1972/Notornis_19_1.pdf#page=46]</ref>
==Range, migration and habitat==
Fantails are an [[Australasia]]n [[family (biology)|family]] that has spread as far as [[Samoa]] to [[Pakistan]]. In the south the [[Grey Fantail]] ranges as far as the [[Snares]] off [[New Zealand]], in the eastern extend of the family has several endemic forms in western [[Polynesia]]. There are numerous species in [[Indonesia]], the [[Philippines]] and in South East Asia, and the family ranges into southern [[China]], [[India]] and the [[Himalayas]]. Some species have a widespread distribution, particularly the [[Willie Wagtail]], [[Grey Fantail]], [[White-throated Fantail]] and [[Northern Fantail]]; others have a highly restricted range and in the case of some insular species may be restricted to a single island. The [[Matthias Fantail|Mussau Fantail]] is restricted to a single island in the [[Bismark Archipelago]], and the [[Kadavu Fantail]] has a similarly restricted distribution in the [[Kadavu Group]] of [[Fiji]].
[[Image:Rufousfantail.jpg|thumb|The population of [[Rufous Fantail]]s from south eastern [[Australia]] undertakes an annual migration to northern Queensland and New Guinea]]
Most fantails, particularly the tropical or insular forms, are sedentary and undertake no [[bird migration|migration]]. Some northern and southern species undertake a variety of movements; the [[Yellow-bellied Fantail]] of the [[Himalayas]] is an altitudinal migrant, breeding between 1500-4000m, but moving to lower altitudes (as low as 180m) in the winter. Some [[Australia]]n fantails undertake seasonal migrations, although these show considerable variation even within individual species. Most populations of the [[Rufous Fantail]] exhibit little migratory behaviour, but the south-eastern population moves en-mass to northern [[Queensland]] and [[New Guinea]].
Fantails exhibit fairly catholic tastes in habitat; while the majority of species are found in [[rainforest]]s fantails exist in most available habitats from [[desert]]s and [[mangrove forest]]s to highly modified [[agricultural]] and [[Urban area|urban]] environments. Most species are able to survive in a variety of habitats. Of all the species the [[Mangrove Fantail]] has the most restricted habitat requirements, being entirely restricted to [[mangrove]] forests over some of its range, although it can exist 3km away in the absence of other fantails.<ref>Noske, R.A. (1996) "Abundance, Zonation and Foraging Ecology of Birds in Mangroves of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory" ''Wildlife Research'' '''23'''(4): 443 - 474 </ref> Some of the more primitive species are generally more restricted to primary rainforest, but most other species can survive in more disturbed forest. The most adaptable species is the Willie Wagtail, which is abundant in every habitat type in Australia except for dense rainforest.
==Behaviour==
The behaviour of many species of fantail has not been studied, but overall the family is highly uniform in its habits. Anecdotal observations of less studied species suggest a high degree of similarity with the better studied species. Fantails are highly active birds, with several of the smaller species continuously on the move; even when perched they continue to rock back and forth, spin 180° on the spot, wag their tail from side to side or fan and unfan it. In flight they are highly agile and undertake highly aerobatic and intricate looping flights.
===Diet and foraging===
[[Image:Grey fantail444.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Grey Fantail]] in [[Australia]] feeding its brood insect prey. ]]
The majority of the diet of fantails composes of small [[insect]]s and [[invertebrate]]s. The larger Willie Wagtail is capable of tackling small [[skink]]s, but this is exceptional. Insect prey is generally small and easily handled, but larger items sometimes need to be subdued by banging it on branches, an action that also removes the wings of larger prey items like [[moth]]s.
There are two general techniques used by the family in order to obtain prey.<ref>McLean I.G. (1989) "Feeding behaviour of the fantail (''Rhipidura fuliginosa'')" ''Notornis'' '''36'''(2): 99-106 [http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_36-1989/Notornis_36_2.pdf#page=23]</ref> The first is known as "static searching", where the fantail will remain at a perch and watch for ariel prey which it will then sally towards and snatch from the air before returning to the perch in order to consume and resume searching. The second method used is known as "progressive searching", where the fantail moves through vegetation searching for insect prey which it gleans; the movement of the searching fantail also flushes out hidden prey which is also pursued and consumed. The Willie Wagtail performs a terrestrial version of this technique, pumping its tail from side to side and undertaking quick darting movements across open ground in order to flush up prey.
Fantails frequently form associations with other species in order obtain prey. Some species perch on the backs of cattle, which they use both as a vantage point and because the cattle flush up insects. This behaviour has given the Willie wagtail the nickname "Shepherd's Companion". Fantails are often very bold around people and will approach them closely in order capture insects flushed by them. Different species are also frequently found in [[Mixed-species feeding flock]]s, travelling with other small insectivorous birds on the periphery of the flocks taking advantage of flushed prey.
===Breeding===
[[Image:White-throated Fantail (Rhipidura albicollis) nest after use at Narendrapur I IMG 7632.jpg|thumb|The nest of a [[White-throated Fantail]], showing the tapered tail that many nests of the family have.]]
Fantails are [[Territory (animal)|territorial]] and aggressively defend their territories from conspecifics (other members of the same species) as well as other fantail species and other flycatchers.<ref name = "Boles"/> Within the territory the female selects the [[bird nest|nesting]] site, these sites are often close to the previous year's nest. Breeding responsibilities, nest building,incubation and chick feeding, are shared between both sexes.
The nest, a small cup of grass stems neatly bound together in [[spider silk]], takes around 10 days to construct. Many species incorporate a trailing tail into the base of the nest; this possibly breaks up the shape of the nest, although there little other effort is made to conceal the nest. To compensate for the high visibility of the nest fantails will aggressively defend their chicks from potential predators.
Female fantails will also distract a potential predator by appearing to be injured and luring the predator away from the nest. While the female is pretending to be injured the male may continue to attack the predator. In spite of this fantails have a generally low nesting success.
==Species==
Based on del Hoyo et al (2006)
*[[Yellow-bellied Fantail]], ''Rhipidura(Chelidorhynx) hypoxantha''
*[[Blue Fantail]], ''Rhipidura superciliaris''
*[[Blue-headed Fantail]], ''Rhipidura cyaniceps''
*[[Chestnut-bellied Fantail]], ''Rhipidura hyperythra''
*[[Friendly Fantail]], ''Rhipidura albolimbata''
*[[Grey Fantail]], ''Rhipidura albiscapa''
*[[Grey Fantail]], ''Rhipidura fuliginosa''
**Lord Howe Fantail, ''Rhipidura fuliginosa cervina'' - [[extinct]] (c.1925)
*[[Mangrove Fantail]], ''Rhipidura phasiana''
*[[Brown Fantail]], ''Rhipidura drownei''
*[[Dusky Fantail]], ''Rhipidura tenebrosa''
*[[Rennell Fantail]], ''Rhipidura rennelliana''
*[[Streaked Fantail]], ''Rhipidura spilodera'' or ''Rhipidura verreauxi''
*[[Kadavu Fantail]], ''Rhipidura personata''
*[[Samoan Fantail]], ''Rhipidura nebulosa''
*[[Rusty-bellied Fantail]] or Rusty-flanked Fantail, ''Rhipidura teysmanni''
*[[Tawny-backed Fantail]] or Cinnamon-backed Fantail, ''Rhipidura superflua''
*[[Streaky-breasted Fantail]], ''Rhipidura dedemi''
*[[Long-tailed Fantail]], ''Rhipidura opistherythra''
*[[Palau Fantail]], ''Rhipidura lepida''
*[[Rufous-backed Fantail]], ''Rhipidura rufidorsa''
*[[Bismarck Fantail]], ''Rhipidura dahli''
*[[Matthias Fantail]], ''Rhipidura matthiae''
*[[Malaita Fantail]], ''Rhipidura malaitae''
*[[Arafura Fantail]], ''Rhipidura dryas''
*[[Pohnpei Fantail]], ''Rhipidura kubaryi''
*[[Rufous Fantail]], ''Rhipidura rufifrons''
**Guam Rufous Fantail, ''Rhipidura rufifrons uraniae'' - [[extinct]] (1984)
*[[Manus Fantail]], ''Rhipidura semirubra''
*[[Dimorphic Fantail]], ''Rhipidura brachyrhyncha''
*[[Black Fantail]], ''Rhipidura atra''
*[[Black-and-cinnamon Fantail]], ''Rhipidura nigrocinnamomea''
*[[Rufous-tailed Fantail]], ''Rhipidura phoenicura''
*[[White-bellied Fantail]], ''Rhipidura euryura''
[[Image:Wagtail singing.jpg|thumb|right|242px|[[Willie Wagtail]]<br/>''Rhipidura leucophrys'']]
*[[Spotted Fantail]], ''Rhipidura perlata''
*[[White-browed Fantail]], ''Rhipidura aureola''
*[[Pied Fantail]], ''Rhipidura javanica''
*[[Spot-breasted Fantail]], ''Rhipidura albogularis''
*[[White-throated Fantail]], ''Rhipidura albicollis''
*[[Brown-capped Fantail]], ''Rhipidura diluta''
*[[Cinnamon-tailed Fantail]], ''Rhipidura fuscorufa''
*[[Northern Fantail]], ''Rhipidura rufiventris''
*[[Cockerell's Fantail]] or White-winged Fantail, ''Rhipidura cockerelli''<!-- Auk118:472 -->
*[[Sooty Thicket-fantail]], ''Rhipidura threnothorax''
*[[White-bellied Thicket-fantail]], ''Rhipidura leucothorax''
*[[Black Thicket-fantail]], ''Rhipidura maculipectus''
*[[Willie Wagtail]], ''Rhipidura leucophrys''
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
{{commonscat|Rhipiduridae}}
*[http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/familia.phtml?idFamilia=143 Fantail videos] on the Internet Bird Collection
[[Category:Rhipidura| ]]
[[Category:rhipidurinae|*]]
[[de:Fächerschwänze]]
[[es:Rhipidurinae]]
[[fr:Rhipidure]]
[[ja:オウギビタキ族 (Sibley)]]