Photo: Meyer, 1874 / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rufous-backed Fantail
Rhipidura rufidorsa
Rufous-backed Fantail (Rhipidura rufidorsa) — 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 Rufous-backed Fantail (Rhipidura rufidorsa) is a member of the Rhipiduridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 9.8 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 rufidorsa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.8 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 Rufous-backed Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Rufous-backed Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Rufous-backed Fantail (Rhipidura rufidorsa) belongs to the Rhipiduridae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU New Guinea and nw satellites.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.8 g, with a wing length of about 6.4 cm and a tail of around 7 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 489,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rufous-backed Fantail?
The Rufous-backed Fantail is a very small bird that weighs around 9.8 g.
Where does the Rufous-backed Fantail live?
The Rufous-backed Fantail is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU New Guinea and nw satellites, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Rufous-backed Fantail belong to?
The Rufous-backed Fantail (Rhipidura rufidorsa) belongs to the Rhipiduridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Rufous-backed Fantail eat?
The Rufous-backed Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Rufous-backed Fantail migrate?
The Rufous-backed Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Rufous-backed 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 Rufous-backed Fantail make?
1 real field recording of the Rufous-backed Fantail — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Rufous-backed Fantail's range?
The Rufous-backed Fantail has a mapped global range of about 489,000 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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