Santa Cruz Fantail
Rhipidura melanolaema
Santa Cruz Fantail (Rhipidura melanolaema) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
The Santa Cruz Fantail (Rhipidura melanolaema) is a member of the Rhipiduridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 10.1 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 melanolaema
Quick facts
- Weight
- 10.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Santa Cruz Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Santa Cruz Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Santa Cruz Fantail (Rhipidura melanolaema) is a member of the Rhipiduridae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Santa Cruz Is. (se Solomon Is.).
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 10.1 g, with a wing length of about 7.2 cm and a tail of around 8.3 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 257 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Santa Cruz Fantail?
The Santa Cruz Fantail is a very small bird that weighs around 10.1 g.
Where does the Santa Cruz Fantail live?
The Santa Cruz Fantail is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Santa Cruz Is. (se Solomon Is.), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Santa Cruz Fantail belong to?
The Santa Cruz Fantail (Rhipidura melanolaema) belongs to the Rhipiduridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Santa Cruz Fantail eat?
The Santa Cruz Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Santa Cruz Fantail migrate?
The Santa Cruz Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Santa Cruz 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.
How large is the Santa Cruz Fantail's range?
The Santa Cruz Fantail has a mapped global range of about 257 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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