Photo: Muller, 1843 / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Sooty Thicket Fantail
Rhipidura threnothorax
Sooty Thicket Fantail (Rhipidura threnothorax) — 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 Sooty Thicket Fantail (Rhipidura threnothorax) is a member of the Rhipiduridae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 17.6 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 threnothorax
Quick facts
- Weight
- 17.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Sooty Thicket 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 Sooty Thicket Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Sooty Thicket Fantail (Rhipidura threnothorax) is a member of the Rhipiduridae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU New Guinea and satellites.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 17.6 g, with a wing length of about 8.1 cm and a tail of around 9.3 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 594,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Sooty Thicket Fantail?
The Sooty Thicket Fantail is a small bird that weighs around 17.6 g.
Where does the Sooty Thicket Fantail live?
The Sooty Thicket Fantail is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU New Guinea and satellites, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Sooty Thicket Fantail belong to?
The Sooty Thicket Fantail (Rhipidura threnothorax) belongs to the Rhipiduridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Sooty Thicket Fantail eat?
The Sooty Thicket Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Sooty Thicket Fantail migrate?
The Sooty Thicket Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Sooty Thicket 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 Sooty Thicket Fantail make?
1 real field recording of the Sooty Thicket 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 Sooty Thicket Fantail's range?
The Sooty Thicket Fantail has a mapped global range of about 594,000 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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