Streaked fantail

Rhipidura verreauxi

Photo by Josep del Hoyo (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
streaked fantail (en); cauda-de-leque-malhado (pt); rhipidure tacheté (fr); abanico moteado (es); fleckenfächerschwanz (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Rhipiduridae

Range:
This species is found in the Pacific archipelagos of New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji.

Size:
These birds are 17-18 cm long and weigh 11,5-15 g.

Habitat:
The streaked fantail is mostly found in moist tropical forests, including forest edges and partially cleared forests, but also use moist scrublands and gardens.

Diet:
They forage in the lower canopy and, to a lesser extent, in the undergrowth, taking various insects.

Breeding:
Streaked fantails breed in September-February. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a neat cup made of fine twigs held together with spider webs. The female lays 2-3 white eggs with brown spots, which are incubated by both parents for 15-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is described as common in most of this range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.