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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Rhipiduridae
  4. ›
  5. Rhipidura
  6. ›
  7. Northern Fantail
Northern Fantail
Photo · (c) Lachlan Copeland, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

BirdUp · Species

Northern Fantail

Rhipidura rufiventris(Vieillot, 1818)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Rhipiduridae
Genus
Rhipidura

At a glance

The Northern Fantail is a small bird, about 16–19 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
16–19 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Northern Fantail look like?

The Northern Fantail is a small bird, about 16–19 cm long and weighing 10–19 g.

The northern fantail is a species of bird in the family Rhipiduridae. It is found in New Guinea, Timor, and northern Australia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
16–19 cm
Weight
10–19 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Northern Fantail?

The Northern Fantail is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Northern Fantail eat?

The Northern Fantail feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Northern Fantail live in Australia?

The Northern Fantail is native to Australia, recorded across 24 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingWidespread, east Lesser Sundas, Moluccas, New Guinea region, Bismarck Arch. and north Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Vagrant
  • Resident

5 regions recorded