Bird Guide

New Zealand Fantail vs White-spotted Fantail

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
White-spotted Fantail (Rhipidura albogularis)

White-spotted Fantail

Rhipidura albogularis

Tiny13 gForest

The adult white-spotted fantail is about 19 cm (7.5 in) long. It has a dark fan-shaped tail, edged in white, and white supercilium and throat. Birds are mainly slate grey above, with a black eye mask, and a white throat and eyebrow. It has whitish underparts, and a grey breast band that is spotted white.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Dominic Best · CC0

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