Bird Guide

Grey Fantail vs New Zealand Fantail

Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa)

Grey Fantail

Rhipidura albiscapa

Tiny9 gWoodland

This species is mid-to-dark grey or grey-brown above, lighter (often yellowish/orange) below, with a white throat, white markings over the eye, and with (depending on the race) either white-edged or entirely white outer tail feathers. It grows to 16 cm (6.3 in) in length, of which half is the tail, which, as the name implies, is often displayed fanned out. This reveals that the outer tail feathers are light and the centre ones are dark. Some races, such as keasti, have a darker plumage.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: patrickkavanagh · CC BY 2.0
New Zealand Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa)

New Zealand Fantail

Rhipidura fuliginosa

Tiny8 gWoodland

This fantail is mid to dark grey or grey-brown above, yellowish/orange below, with a dark band across the chest below a white throat, white markings over the eye, and (depending on the race) either white-edged or entirely white outer tail feathers. It grows to 16 cm (6.3 in) in length, of which half is the tail, which, as the name implies, is often displayed fanned out. This reveals that the outer tail feathers are light and the centre ones are dark.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: prosperosity · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Grey Fantail and New Zealand Fantail.