Photo: JJ Harrison / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black Thicket Fantail
Rhipidura maculipectus
Black Thicket Fantail (Rhipidura maculipectus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black Thicket Fantail (Rhipidura maculipectus) is a member of the Rhipiduridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 18 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Rhipiduridae Fantails
- Genus Rhipidura
- Species maculipectus
Where it lives
Raja Ampat Is. (northwest of New Guinea), Aru Is. (southwest of New Guinea), northwestern and southern New Guinea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black Thicket Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black Thicket Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black Thicket Fantail (Rhipidura maculipectus) is a species of bird in the Rhipiduridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Raja Ampat Is. (nw of New Guinea), Aru Is. (sw of New Guinea), nw and s New Guinea.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18 g, with a wing length of about 8.1 cm and a tail of around 9.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 138,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black Thicket Fantail?
The Black Thicket Fantail is a small bird that weighs around 18 g.
Where does the Black Thicket Fantail live?
The Black Thicket Fantail is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Raja Ampat Is. (nw of New Guinea), Aru Is. (sw of New Guinea), nw and s New Guinea, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black Thicket Fantail belong to?
The Black Thicket Fantail (Rhipidura maculipectus) belongs to the Rhipiduridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black Thicket Fantail eat?
The Black Thicket Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black Thicket Fantail migrate?
The Black Thicket Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black Thicket Fantail endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black Thicket Fantail make?
1 real field recording of the Black Thicket Fantail — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black Thicket Fantail's range?
The Black Thicket Fantail has a mapped global range of about 138,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Rhipiduridae
Least Concern
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.