Willie Wagtail

Scientific Name: Rhipidura leucophrys

Population Estimate: Unknown, but Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Found in most habitats, excluding thick forest, in Australia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and eastern Indonesia. 

Field Notes: Large, black fantail with white belly and eyebrows. Spends much time on ground, seen less frequently in air compared to Grey Fantail, for example. The latter also with white throat. 

Personal Notes: Seen at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, Australia. 

Grey Fantail

Scientific Name: Rhipidura albiscapa

Population Estimate: Unknown, but Least Concern status.

Range / Habitat: Found in forest, scrub and artificial habitats throughout Australia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. 

Field Notes: Small, active grey flycatcher with a long tail, frequently fanned. Tail feathers have white shafts. White eyebrow, grey necklace, yellow belly. Willie Wagtail similar in appearance, but without white throat and with completely different behavior.

Personal Notes: A common, but welcome, sight throughout Australia. Note that some sources consider this bird conspecific with New Zealand Fantail.

New Zealand Fantail

Scientific Name: Rhipidura fuliginosa

Population Estimate: Unknown, but Least Concern status

Range / Habitat: Native to New Zealand and found in forest, scrub and artificial habitats of both islands.

Field Notes: Small, friendly, brown bird with long tail, often fanned. There is a pied phase, as above, and a black phase, with all black coloring.

Personal Notes: A bird that will follow trampers down a trail. Some sources consider this to be the same species as Grey Fantail in Australia. Maori name Piwakawaka.