Black-backed forktail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-backed forktail |
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Enicurus
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| Species: |
immaculatus
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The black-backed forktail (Enicurus immaculatus) is a cool bird that belongs to the forktail group. It's part of the Muscicapidae family, which includes Old World flycatchers. Sometimes, people call it the black-throated forktail.
This bird was first described in 1836 after a specimen was found in Nepal. It's a medium-sized bird, usually weighing between 25 and 29 grams. It grows to be about 20.5 to 23 centimeters (8 to 9 inches) long.
The black-backed forktail has a wide white stripe across its forehead. Its head, face, and back are black. The underside of its body is white, with a clear line separating it from the black upper parts. Its wings are mostly black, but they have a wide white stripe. Like other forktails, it has a long, deeply forked tail. The tail is black with a white tip and three white bands. Its beak is black, its legs are light pink, and its eyes are brown. Both male and female black-backed forktails look the same.
This bird usually lives alone, but you might sometimes see them in pairs or family groups. They are known to be quite shy. Black-backed forktails build their nests between March and June. They make nests from plants in holes or cracks in rocks and dead trees. They usually lay three eggs, which are pink with red-brown spots. Both parents help build the nest and keep the eggs warm.
You can find these birds near fast-flowing rivers and streams. They live in temperate forests and warm, wet subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. Their home range includes the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. This includes countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand. They are usually found below 1,450 meters (4,760 feet) above sea level. However, they have been seen as high as 2,600 meters (8,500 feet). We don't know exactly how many black-backed forktails there are, but their population seems stable. The International Union for Conservation of Nature says they are a species of "Least Concern." This means they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
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What's in a Name? (Taxonomy)
The black-backed forktail was first officially described by a British naturalist named Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1836. He found a specimen in Nepal. He first put it in a new group called Enicurus within the Motacilla genus, which includes birds like wagtails. Hodgson thought this bird shared features of both wagtails and thrushes.
Today, the black-backed forktail is part of the Muscicapidae family. This family includes many Old World flycatchers and chats. Sometimes, people still call this bird the black-throated forktail.
How to Spot a Black-backed Forktail (Description)
The black-backed forktail is a medium-sized bird, about 20.5 to 23 centimeters (8 to 9 inches) long. It weighs between 25 and 29 grams. Its wing length is usually between 8.6 and 9.8 centimeters (3.4 to 3.9 inches). The beak is about 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) long, and the tail is between 12.4 and 12.7 centimeters (4.9 to 5 inches) long.
This bird has a wide white stripe on its forehead, starting just behind its eyes. Its head, back, face, throat, and neck sides are covered in black feathers. The underside of its body is white, with a clear line separating it from the black throat. Its wings are mostly black. They have a wide white band across the middle part of the wing. The tips of its inner flight feathers are white. The rest of the flight feathers are black.
Like most other forktails, it has a very long, deeply forked tail. The tail feathers are black with white tips. The outermost feathers are completely white. The tail has a white tip and three white bands made by the ends of shorter tail feathers. The beak is black, and its feet and legs are a light pink color. Its eyes are brown.
Male and female black-backed forktails look exactly alike. We don't know much about when they change their feathers (molting). Young black-backed forktails look a bit different. They don't have the clear white stripe on their forehead. The parts that are black on adults are more of a dull black or sooty brown on juveniles. Young birds might also have a white spot behind their eye. Their tails are usually shorter, and their lower beak is yellowish.
This bird looks a bit like the slaty-backed forktail. However, the black-backed forktail doesn't have a slaty (grayish) back and is smaller. It also has a thinner beak. Its white face band is narrower than that of the white-crowned forktail. It also has a white chest, unlike the white-crowned forktail's black chest.
Its call is a short, whistled "tseep - dew" or "hurt-zeee." These two sounds can sometimes be made separately. When the bird is disturbed, it makes a two-syllable call. It also makes a sound like a squeaky door hinge. Sometimes, it even sings a short song.
Daily Life of a Black-backed Forktail (Behavior and Ecology)
The black-backed forktail usually lives alone or in pairs. During the breeding season, you might see them in family groups. They are shy birds. When they are eating, they often bob their tail up and down. When resting, they open and close their tail like scissors.
They often fly along rivers or streams. Their flight is fast and straight, sometimes wiggling a little. They have been seen near waterfalls. We don't know exactly what they eat. But they have been seen eating insects that live in water, their larvae (young forms), and small crustaceans. They usually look for food along fast-moving streams and rivers. They might even go into the water. Sometimes, they also look for food along slower rivers, ponds, or wet areas in the forest. When they are not active, they like to stay hidden in bushes or low plants.
The black-backed forktail breeds between March and June. Their nest is shaped like a cup and is made of plant materials. This includes dried leaves, moss, and plant fibers. Sometimes, they line the nest with leaf skeletons. They build their nests in holes in dead trees, under riverbanks, on ledges, or in cracks in rocks. They usually lay three eggs. The eggs are pinkish with small red-brown spots. Sometimes, the spots form bigger blotches or caps at the end of the eggs. The eggs are about 2.08 centimeters (0.8 inches) long and 1.58 centimeters (0.6 inches) wide. Both the male and female birds help build the nest and keep the eggs warm. Young birds leave their parents' breeding areas between April and October.
Where They Live (Range and Distribution)
The black-backed forktail loves to live near fast-flowing rivers and streams. These areas are usually in moist tropical broadleaf forests and subtropical lowland forests. They often hang out on rocks and boulders in or near streams. They also like mud or sand banks next to fast-moving water.
You can find these birds in the western part of their range in Garhwal, India. From there, they live across western and central Nepal to Bhutan and the northeastern Indian states. This includes places like Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur. They are known to visit Nameri National Park in Assam during winter. They are not very common west of Sikkim, but they are common in Bhutan. You can also find them in the Sylhet and Chittagong areas of Bangladesh, where they are uncommon. Their range also extends to Myanmar (except for the Tenasserim region) and northwestern Thailand. They have also been seen in southwestern Yunnan in China and southeastern Tibet.
In the western part of their range, they live up to 1,450 meters (4,760 feet) above sea level. In the eastern part, they live up to 900 meters (3,000 feet) above sea level. In Nepal, they are found between 75 and 1,370 meters (250 to 4,500 feet) above sea level. In 1998, one was seen as high as 2,600 meters (8,500 feet) in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. They mostly breed below 600 meters (2,000 feet) in India and Bhutan.
We don't know the exact number of black-backed forktails. However, experts believe their population is stable and likely more than 10,000 birds. Their exact home range is also unknown, but it's thought to be larger than 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 square miles). Because of these estimates, the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists them as a species of "Least Concern." This means they are not currently facing a high risk of extinction.
