Photo: Opisska / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spotted Fantail
Rhipidura perlata
Spotted Fantail (Rhipidura perlata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Spotted Fantail (Rhipidura perlata) is a member of the Rhipiduridae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 13.4 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 perlata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spotted 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 Spotted Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spotted Fantail (Rhipidura perlata) is a species of bird in the Rhipiduridae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Malay Pen., Sumatra and Borneo.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13.4 g, with a wing length of about 8.3 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 1.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spotted Fantail?
The Spotted Fantail is a very small bird that weighs around 13.4 g.
Where does the Spotted Fantail live?
The Spotted Fantail is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Malay Pen., Sumatra and Borneo, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Spotted Fantail belong to?
The Spotted Fantail (Rhipidura perlata) belongs to the Rhipiduridae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Spotted Fantail eat?
The Spotted Fantail is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Spotted Fantail migrate?
The Spotted Fantail is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spotted 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 Spotted Fantail make?
1 real field recording of the Spotted Fantail can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Spotted Fantail's range?
The Spotted 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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