Pohnpei Fantail
Rhipidura kubaryi
Dark gray fantail with white-edged scaling on the breast. Also note white “eyebrows”, malar stripe, and trimming on the tail. No confusion species; the only fantail on Pohnpei. Inhabits brushy and wooded areas, sometimes near human habitation. Like other fantails, a very active hunter, constantly hawking and gleaning for prey. Song is a high-pitched jumble of notes given in an up-and-down series.
Identification
The Pohnpei fantail (Rhipidura kubaryi) is a fantail, known as the Likepsir in Pohnpeian, which is endemic to the Pacific island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. It is a bird commonly found in forests and at forest edges. It feeds on insects which it gathers by gleaning amongst foliage or by making short dashes while in the air. It is a small bird (15 cm) with a long, fan-shaped tail which is often fanned or wagged. The plumage is mostly dark grey with a white eyebrow, moustache and tips to the tail feathers. The belly is white and the breast is blackish with white feather edges giving a scaly appearance. The species is closely related to the rufous fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons) but it is darker and duller in appearance with a different song and feeding behaviour. The scientific name commemorates the Polish naturalist Jan Kubary.
Taxonomy
Genus: Rhipidura; Family: Rhipiduridae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Rhipidura kubaryi
- Authority
- Finsch, 1876
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Rhipiduridae
- Genus
- Rhipidura
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
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