Rhipidura rufifrons
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The Australian rufous fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons) is a small passerine bird, most commonly known also as the black-breasted rufous-fantail or rufous-fronted fantail, which can be found in Australia. Characteristic of species that have a large range, the Australian rufous fantail has many subspecies. However the taxonomic treatment of its subspecies and other relatives is still debated. The Australian rufous fantail is easily distinguished by their orange-reddish-brown back, rump and base of tail. They have a black and white breast that grades into a white colour on the chin and throat.
They are migratory, travelling to south-eastern Australia in the spring to breed, and then north in the autumn. The Australian rufous fantail tends to feed on small insects in the lower parts of the canopy. They are very active birds making short, frequent flights. They may also hop between foliage or on the ground, during foraging.
Although their population is thought to be declining, their relatively large range and abundance make them a species of least concern according to the IUCN. The Australian rufous fantail has complex evolutionary relationships and sometimes this results... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous Fantail sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 156 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 157th most-seen of the 236 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous Fantail in Melbourne on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous Fantail sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Rufous Fantail sightings, Melbourne ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Brisbane (Australia, about 10%) and Sydney (Australia, under 5%).
Same genus: Rhipidura
The closest relatives of the Rufous Fantail that you can see in Melbourne (genus Rhipidura, Fantails) are Grey Fantail (about 40%) and Willie Wagtail (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rufous Fantail is recorded against all the birds logged in Melbourne (156 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
