White-crowned forktail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White-crowned forktail |
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Enicurus
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| Species: |
leschenaulti
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The white-crowned forktail (Enicurus leschenaulti) is a type of forktail bird. It belongs to the Muscicapidae family, which includes Old World flycatchers and chats. This bird was first officially described in 1818.
It is the largest of all forktails, growing to about 25 to 28 centimeters (10 to 11 inches) long. It has a black throat and chest, with mostly black wings. Its lower back and rump are white. The bird gets its name from a bright white patch on its head, called a crown. Like other forktails, it has a long, deeply forked tail with black and white bands. White-crowned forktails make various whistling and clicking sounds.
This bird is quite shy and prefers to stay near water. It searches for small creatures like insects along the edges of rivers and streams. Its breeding season usually runs from March to September, sometimes even into October. These birds build their nests close to water, using plant materials. They lay between two and five eggs. In China, they have been seen raising more than one group of chicks in a year.
You can find the white-crowned forktail in China, Southeast Asia, and parts of the northeastern Indian subcontinent. It lives in warm, wet forests, both in lowlands and on mountains. It can be found from about 185 meters (600 feet) to 2,400 meters (7,900 feet) above sea level. The International Union for Conservation of Nature says this bird is of "least concern," meaning it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
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What is a White-Crowned Forktail?
The white-crowned forktail was first described in 1818 by a French bird expert named Louis Pierre Vieillot. He studied a bird from Java and first placed it with the thrushes. He named it Turdus leschenaulti to honor another French naturalist, Jean-Baptiste Leschenault de La Tour.
Later, in 1822, a Dutch zoologist named Coenraad Jacob Temminck created the genus Enicurus for forktails. Now, the white-crowned forktail is one of eight forktail species in this group.
Different Types of White-Crowned Forktails
There are five recognized types, or subspecies, of the white-crowned forktail:
- E. l. indicus – Found in northeast India, Myanmar, south China, Indochina, and Thailand.
- E. l. sinensis – Lives in central and east China, including Hainan Island.
- E. l. frontalis – Found in central and south Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Nias (west of north Sumatra), and lowland Borneo.
- E. l. chaseni – Lives on the Batu Islands (west of central Sumatra).
- E. l. leschenaulti – Found on Java and Bali.
The Bornean forktail (Enicurus borneensis) used to be considered a sixth subspecies. However, scientists now know it is a separate species. It lives in the mountain areas of Borneo.
How to Identify a White-Crowned Forktail
The white-crowned forktail is the biggest of all forktail birds. It is about 25 to 28 cm (10 to 11 inches) long. Most weigh between 27 and 38 grams (0.95 to 1.34 ounces). Some have been found to weigh up to 53 grams (1.87 ounces).
It has black feathers on its face, throat, and chest. A bright white patch on its head, sometimes looking like a small crest, gives it its name. Its belly is white and clearly separated from the black chest. The lower back and rump are also white.
The tail is long and deeply forked, with white tips and three thin white bands. Its wings are mostly black with a clear white band. Young white-crowned forktails look a bit different. They have brownish-black upper parts, chest, and throat. Their bellies may have brown spots. They also do not have the bright white crown. The bird's beak is black, and its feet are pinkish.
How it Differs from Other Forktails
You can tell the white-crowned forktail apart from other forktails by its completely black back. The spotted forktail has a speckled back, and the slaty-backed forktail has a gray back. It is also larger than the black-backed forktail and has a longer tail.
Different subspecies have small differences. For example, the indicus subspecies from India has a slightly longer beak. The sinensis subspecies from China has a slightly shorter beak. The frontalis subspecies is a bit smaller and has less white on its crown.
Sounds and Calls
White-crowned forktails make various sounds. Their alarm calls and contact calls are high-pitched, ringing whistles. These calls sound like "tseee, tseee" or "zweeet" and are repeated. The alarm call is harsher, like "scree" or "scree chit chit."
Male birds sing a long, complex song when they are showing off or protecting their territory. This song often starts with a long whistle that fades away. It is followed by shorter whistles, clicking sounds, or bell-like noises.
Where Do White-Crowned Forktails Live?
White-crowned forktails live in warm, wet forests in subtropical and tropical areas. Like other forktails, they prefer fast-flowing rivers, waterfalls, and streams within these forests. Sometimes, in winter, they move to slower-moving water.
They also like damp spots in the forest, such as swampy areas and water ditches. They prefer places hidden by thick plants. On the island of Borneo, they can sometimes be found in drier areas, like along forest paths and in heathland.
Geographic Range and Elevation
This bird has a wide range across South and Southeast Asia. You can find it in parts of India, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
The height at which they live changes depending on the area. In the Eastern Himalayas, they are usually found below 800 meters (2,600 feet) above sea level. Sometimes, they are seen as high as 1,250 meters (4,100 feet), and rarely at 2,400 meters (7,900 feet) in Arunachal Pradesh. In Sumatra and Borneo, they are usually seen up to 1,400 meters (4,600 feet).
The white-crowned forktail is common in most of its range. However, it is less common in the Himalayas. In China, it is said to be the most common forktail. Even though the exact number of these birds is not known, it is believed to be over 10,000. Their population seems to be stable. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as a species of "least concern."
White-Crowned Forktail Behavior and Life Cycle
Like other forktails, the white-crowned forktail stays close to water. It often wags its tail. It looks for food along stream edges and in the water. Its diet mainly consists of insects, such as black beetles, water crickets, springtails, and caterpillars.
This bird is shy and flies low to the ground, usually making calls as it flies. It is thought to move to different elevations depending on the time of year.
Reproduction and Nests
White-crowned forktails breed between March and September, sometimes even into October. The exact breeding time can vary slightly in different places. Eggs have been found as early as March in Borneo.
They build their nests from moss, plants, leaves, and wood fibers. The nest is shaped like a large cup. It is usually placed near or over water, or sometimes in nearby forest gullies. Nests are often found in holes in banks or cliffs, or among tree roots. Some nests have even been seen behind waterfalls, with the birds flying through the water to reach them! The nest location is always damp.
The female usually lays between two and five eggs. The eggs are creamy, pinkish, or grayish-white, with speckles of red-brown, salmon, and lilac. In southern China, these birds have been seen raising two groups of chicks in a year. The number of eggs laid can vary with location. Birds in China often lay four to five eggs. Sometimes, the nests of white-crowned forktails in Myanmar are used by the Drongo cuckoo to lay their own eggs.
