BirdUp · Species
New Zealand Fantail
Rhipidura fuliginosa(Sparrman, 1787)
Also known asPīwakawakaTīwakawakaPiwaiwakaTchitake
- Order
- PASSERIFORMES
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Genus
- Rhipidura
- Conservation
- Least Concern
- Commonness
- Very common
- Best seen
- Year-round
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
The New Zealand fantail is a small insectivorous bird, the only species of fantail in New Zealand. It has four subspecies: R. f. fuliginosa in the South Island, R. f. placabilis in the North Island, R. f. penita in the Chatham Islands, and the now-extinct R. f. cervina formerly on Lord Howe Island. It is also known by its Māori names, pīwakawaka, tīwakawaka or piwaiwaka, and the Chatham Island subspecies by the Moriori name tchitake; the common pied morph is also known as pied fantail, and the uncommon dark morph is also known as black fantail. The species has been considered by many to be conspecific as the grey fantail of Australia and New Caledonia; however, due to significant differences in its calls, many authorities now treat it as a separate species.
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
02 · Where
Where to find it
- Breeding range
- New Zealand (North, South, Stewart and Chatham Is.) and AU (Lord Howe I., where extinct)
03 · When
When to look
Months this species is recorded across its Australian range.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
05 · Behaviour
Habits and haunts
06 · Gallery
Plumage up close
2 photos
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