Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey Fantail
Rhipidura albiscapa
Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 9 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa) is a member of the Rhipiduridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 8.6 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 albiscapa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey 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 Grey Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa) is a species of bird in the Rhipiduridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Australia, Solomon Is., Vanuatu and New Caledonia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.6 g, with a wing length of about 7.3 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.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey Fantail?
The Grey Fantail is a very small bird that weighs around 8.6 g.
Where does the Grey Fantail live?
The Grey Fantail is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Australia, Solomon Is., Vanuatu and New Caledonia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Grey Fantail belong to?
The Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa) belongs to the Rhipiduridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Grey Fantail eat?
The Grey Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Grey Fantail migrate?
The Grey Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Grey 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 Grey Fantail make?
1 real field recording of the Grey 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 Grey Fantail's range?
The Grey Fantail has a mapped global range of about 1.3 million 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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Guides for this bird
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