White-crowned Forktail

White-crowned Forktail

Enicurus leschenaulti

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Danum Valley Conservation Area

In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%

546 Verified sightings at Danum Valley Conservation Area From 2019 to 2026
1,541 In all 9 parks
October Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the White-crowned Forktail

The white-crowned forktail (Enicurus leschenaulti) is a species of forktail in the family Muscicapidae. Formally described in 1818, it has five subspecies, each occupying a different geographic range. The largest of the forktails, Enicurus leschenaulti, is between 25 and 28 centimetres (9.8 and 11.0 in) long. It has a black throat and breast, black mantle, and largely black wings. The rump and lower back are white, and the bird has a prominent white crown, from which it gets its name. As with other forktails, the tail is long, deeply forked, and banded in black and white. A variety of whistling and clicking calls have been described. Slight morphological differences have been observed between subspecies.

A shy bird, the white-crowned forktail stays near water, and forages on the edges of rivers and streams for invertebrates. Its breeding season is between March and September, and possibly extends till October. Its nests are also built near the water, and are constructed of plant material. The eggs are between two and five in number, though there is latitudinal variation. Multiple broods in a year have been observed in China. The white-crowned forktail is found in China, Southeast Asia and also in northeastern parts of the Indian subcontinent. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. Its elevational range varies across its range, from a minimum of 185 metres (607 ft) above sea level to a maximum of 2,400 metres (7,900 ft). It is categorized as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:20

China · 2026

© He Wenjin/文进 · XC1083368 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Uncertain1:20

China · 2022

© JJSUN · XC1069639 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:05

China · 2025

© 小菜鸟 · XC1007914 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~30%
2 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
3 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
4 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
5 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
6 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
7 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
8 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
9 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hangzhou 🇨🇳 China
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-crowned Forktail in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-crowned Forktail sighting in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, based on 546 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 25th most-seen of the 258 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a White-crowned Forktail in Danum Valley Conservation Area?

October

In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a White-crowned Forktail in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, against about 20% in April, the lowest month.

What time of day is best to see a White-crowned Forktail?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-crowned Forktail sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Danum Valley Conservation Area the best place to see a White-crowned Forktail?

Yes

Of the 9 parks where we can rate White-crowned Forktail sightings, Danum Valley Conservation Area has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Namdapha National Park (India, about 30%) and Doi Inthanon National Park (Thailand, about 10%).

Where does the White-crowned Forktail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-crowned Forktail is recorded against all the birds logged in Danum Valley Conservation Area (546 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.

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