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Black Fantail

Rhipidura atra · Species of bird from New Guinea
Family
Order
Passeriformes
Codes
blafan1, BLFA

About the Black Fantail

The black fantail is a species of bird in the family Rhipiduridae. It is endemic to the highlands of New Guinea and the nearby island of Waigeo. The species was named by Italian naturalist Tommaso Salvadori in 1876, who gave it the specific name atra for the Latin word for dull black. Two subspecies have been described, the widespread nominate race R. a. atra, and R. a. vulpes of the Cyclops Mountains. R. a. vulpes was described in 1931 by Ernst Mayr, who named it from the rufous colour of foxes. Whithin the genus Rhipidura the closest relative of the black fantail is uncertain, a 2009 study of the genetics of the family found 6 well defined clades within the fantails but could not place this species with any of them.

Source: Wikipedia

Taxonomy & Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyFantails (Rhipiduridae)
SpeciesRhipidura atra
Species Codesblafan1, BLFA

Frequently Asked Questions

What family does the Black Fantail belong to?

The Black Fantail (Rhipidura atra) belongs to the Fantails family (Rhipiduridae), in the order Passeriformes.

How can I identify the Black Fantail?

The black fantail is a species of bird in the family Rhipiduridae. It is endemic to the highlands of New Guinea and the nearby island of Waigeo. The species was named by Italian naturalist Tommaso Salvadori in 1876, who gave it the specific name atra for the Latin word for dull black. Two subspecies...

Where can I report a Black Fantail sighting?

You can log sightings of Black Fantail on eBird (ebird.org) using species code blafan1, or on iNaturalist.