Photo: Aviceda / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Northern Fantail
Rhipidura rufiventris
Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) is a member of the Rhipiduridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 12 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 rufiventris
Where it lives
Widespread, eastern Lesser Sundas, Moluccas, New Guinea region, Bismarck Arch. and northern Australia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Northern Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Northern Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) is a species of bird in the Rhipiduridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU widespread, e Lesser Sundas, Moluccas, New Guinea region, Bismarck Arch. and n Australia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12 g, with a wing length of about 8.5 cm and a tail of around 8.2 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 31,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Northern Fantail?
The Northern Fantail is a very small bird that weighs around 12 g.
Where does the Northern Fantail live?
The Northern Fantail is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU widespread, e Lesser Sundas, Moluccas, New Guinea region, Bismarck Arch. and n Australia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Northern Fantail belong to?
The Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) belongs to the Rhipiduridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Northern Fantail eat?
The Northern Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Northern Fantail migrate?
The Northern Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Northern 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 Northern Fantail make?
1 real field recording of the Northern 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 Northern Fantail's range?
The Northern Fantail has a mapped global range of about 31,000 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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Guides for this bird
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