Sunda Forktail
Enicurus velatus
Elegant mountain stream specialist, endemic to Java and Sumatra. Typically encountered foraging alongside narrow and fast-moving forest waterways at 600-2000 meters. Dark gray above and white below, with a dark throat and slender white stripe around the forehead. Males have a gray crown, while females have a dark maroon one (difficult to see in poor lighting). Also note bright white rump. White-crowned Forktail is significantly larger, with white wingbars and a larger white forehead patch. Calls loudly, especially when alarmed, giving high thin whistles. Often bobs tail.
Identification
The Sunda forktail is 16 cm (6.3 in) in length with a deeply forked tail. The male has a white breast, belly and rump, and black wings, and a dark grey back and head. There is a small white line between the eyes. The tail is black with white barring. The female is similar to the male but has a brown crown and nape. The nominate race is found on Java. The Sumatran subspecies, sumatranus, differs from the nominate in having more rufous brown on the female. The call of this species is a hard shrill "chee" or "hie-tie-tie"
Taxonomy
The Sunda forktail was formally described and illustrated in 1822 by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck under the binomial name Enicurus velatus. The specific epithet velatus is Latin meaning "veiled".<p>Two subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Enicurus velatus
- Authority
- Temminck, 1822
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Enicurus
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The Sunda forktail feeds on aquatic insects and their larvae, as well as snails. The nest of this species is a large cup of woven mosses, grasses leaves and wood fibres. Two whitish with red spotting eggs are a laid.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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