Chestnut-naped forktail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chestnut-naped forktail |
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| Female (above) and male (below) | |
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| Genus: |
Enicurus
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| Species: |
ruficapillus
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The chestnut-naped forktail (Enicurus ruficapillus) is a beautiful bird. It belongs to the Muscicapidae family. This family includes birds like flycatchers and chats. This bird is the only one of its kind, meaning it has no subspecies. It lives in parts of Southeast Asia. You can find it in southern Burma and Thailand. It also lives in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. This bird does not migrate. It stays in the same area all year.
Where They Live
The chestnut-naped forktail loves to live near clear rivers and streams. These are often found in lowland and hill rainforests. You might also spot them in bushy areas. They can be found on dry ridges or along roads used for logging. These birds live from sea-level up to about 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) high. But in southern Thailand, they only go up to about 900 meters (2,950 feet).
What Do They Look Like?
The chestnut-naped forktail is a medium-sized bird. It is about 18 to 20 centimeters (7 to 8 inches) long. It weighs around 27 grams (about 1 ounce). The male bird has a chestnut-colored head. It has a white forehead and a black mask around its eyes. Its wings are black with a white stripe. The chest is white with black stripes. These stripes fade into a white belly. The lower back is white. Its tail is black with white stripes and a white tip.
The female bird looks very similar to the male. The main difference is her back and shoulders. These parts are chestnut-colored on the female. When they fly, these birds make calls. It can be a single whistle or three whistles.
How They Live
Chestnut-naped forktails look for food near water. They eat many different insects. Their diet includes earwigs, beetles, ants, and caterpillars. Sometimes, they have even been seen eating small snakes.
Their nest is shaped like a cup. It is made from plant fibers. The inside is lined with thin leaf skeletons. The outside is decorated with moss. They use mud to attach the nest to a large rock or a riverbank. A female usually lays two eggs. The eggs are white or light pink. They have reddish-brown spots and purple marks underneath. Sometimes, brush cuckoos lay their eggs in the forktail's nest. This means the forktail parents raise the cuckoo chicks.
Their Future
The chestnut-naped forktail is facing a challenge. Its home, the lowland forest, is disappearing quickly. This is called habitat loss. People are clearing these forests across the bird's range. Scientists believe the bird will still live in hill areas. Because of these threats, the chestnut-naped forktail is listed as near threatened. This means it could become endangered if its habitat continues to shrink.
