General Description
Upper body and head grey, throat with a white patch. Narrow white stripes on wing. Tail feathers long and grey with white edges. Eyebrow white. Easily recognised by its fanned tail. Body up to 17 cm long.
Biology
Grey Fantails are inquisitive, active birds often flying to catch insects in mid-air. These birds frequently follow people, catching insects disturbed by their passage. They are usually seen with their tail fanned out. They build a small, cup-shaped nest bound together with spider webs. The nest is usually in the fork of a tree and it has a long stem like a wine glass. The female lays two to five eggs which both parents incubate. After hatching, the chicks are fed by both parents. A pair will produce several broods each breeding season. Grey Fantails have a partial migration northwards during winter.
Distribution
Pacific Islands and New Guinea. Mainland Australia and Tasmania.
Habitat
Most treed areas.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
A small, inquisitive bird with a grey body and fanned tail. Will often follow people through the bush.
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Colours
Grey, White
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Maximum Size
17 cm
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Habitats
Wetland, Urban, DryForest, WetForest, Woodland, Mallee, Grassland, Coastal shrub, Forest
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Diet
Insects
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Endemicity
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Commercial
No
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Not listed, FFG Threatened List: Not listed, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Least Concern
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Taxon Name
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Common Name
Grey Fantail
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Class
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Order
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
albiscapa
