Image: New Zealand fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) (39596247290)

Description: The New Zealand fantail occurs in two colour morphs: pied and black. The adult pied fantail has a greyish head, prominent white eyebrows, brown back and rump, cinnamon breast and belly, white and black bands across the upper breast, and a long black and white tail. Juvenile pied fantails are of mainly brown tones over the head and body, lack the striking white eyebrows and chest bands, and are more rufous on the breast, eyebrows and on the tips of the primary coverts than adults. Black fantails are mainly black, with black-brown over the rump, belly and flight feathers, and occasionally have a white spot over each ear. Note that black morph fantails never have white on their tail feathers. Juvenile black fantails tend to be more dark brown than black. Black fantails are rare in the North Island, and make up less than 5% of individuals across the South Island. The main difference between the subspecies is the amount of white in the tail (North Island fantail with slightly greyish inner webs, South Island pied morph white inner webs, Chatham Island fantail with more extensive white). Fantails are occasionally seen without tails!
Title: New Zealand fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) (39596247290)
Credit: New Zealand fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa)
Author: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No