Photo: John Gerrard Keulemans / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
New Zealand Fantail
Rhipidura fuliginosa
New Zealand Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
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The New Zealand Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) is a member of the Rhipiduridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 7.5 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 fuliginosa
Where it lives
North, South, Stewart and Chatham is. (New Zealand) and Lord Howe I. (east of Australia, where extinct)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 7.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The New Zealand Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The New Zealand Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The New Zealand Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) belongs to the Rhipiduridae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU North, South, Stewart and Chatham is. (New Zealand) and Lord Howe I. (e of Australia, where extinct).
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 7.5 g, with a wing length of about 7.5 cm and a tail of around 9.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 267,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the New Zealand Fantail?
The New Zealand Fantail is a very small bird that weighs around 7.5 g.
Where does the New Zealand Fantail live?
The New Zealand Fantail is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU North, South, Stewart and Chatham is. (New Zealand) and Lord Howe I. (e of Australia, where extinct), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the New Zealand Fantail belong to?
The New Zealand Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) belongs to the Rhipiduridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the New Zealand Fantail eat?
The New Zealand Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the New Zealand Fantail migrate?
The New Zealand Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the New Zealand 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 New Zealand Fantail make?
1 real field recording of the New Zealand 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 New Zealand Fantail's range?
The New Zealand Fantail has a mapped global range of about 267,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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