Sunda forktail

Sunda forktail
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Enicurus
Species: E. velatus
Binomial name
Enicurus velatus
Temminck, 1822

The Sunda forktail (Enicurus velatus) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it is restricted to the islands of Java and Sumatra. Its natural habitat is boulder strewn streams in tropical moist montane forest from 600–2000 m. More rarely the species occurs closer to sea level. The species is common in Sumatra, but is rarer in Java, where the white-crowned forktail is more common.[2]

Female with juvenile

The Sunda forktail is 16 cm (6.3 in) n 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. There are two subspecies described, the nominate race occurring on Java. The Sumatran subspecies, sumatranus, differs from the nominate in having more rufous brown on the female. The call of his species is a hard shrill "chee" or "hie-tie-tie"[2]

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.[2]

References

  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Enicurus velatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Collar, Nigel (2005), "Family Turdidae (Thrushes)", in del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Christie, David, Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 10, Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, p. 806, ISBN 84-87334-72-5
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