Enicurus ruficapillus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The chestnut-naped forktail (Enicurus ruficapillus) is a species of bird in the flycatcher and chat family Muscicapidae. The species is monotypic, having no subspecies. It is found in Sundaland, in southern Burma and Thailand to Peninsular Malaysia, as well as Sumatra and Borneo. The species is not migratory.
The species is found along clear rivers and streams in lowland and hill rainforest. It can also be found in secondary scrub, dry ridges, and along logging roads. It is found from sea-level to 1,300 m (4,300 ft), except in southern Thailand, where it only reaches 900 m (3,000 ft).
The chestnut-naped forktail is 18 to 20 cm (7.1–7.9 in) long and weighs 27 g (0.95 oz). The head of the male is chestnut-coloured, with a white forehead and black mask in front of the eye. The wings are black with a white wing-bar. The breast is white with black barring, fading towards the white belly. The rump is white and the tail is black with white stripes and a white tip. The female is the same as the male except the back and mantle is chestnut. The chestnut-naped forktail calls in flight, either a single or three whistles.
Chestnut... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 6 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut-naped Forktail sighting in Gunung Leuser National Park on a given day, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 76th most-seen of the 166 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut-naped Forktail in Gunung Leuser National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months. That is one of Gunung Leuser National Park's wettest months, with about 700 mm of rain against 150 mm in February.
Between 2 and 5 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chestnut-naped Forktail sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
4th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Chestnut-naped Forktail sightings, Gunung Leuser National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Khao Luang National Park (Thailand, about 30%), Khao Sok National Park (Thailand, about 20%) and Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, about 10%).
Same family: Muscicapidae
The closest relatives of the Chestnut-naped Forktail that you can see in Gunung Leuser National Park (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are Fulvous-chested Jungle Flycatcher (about 20%), Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher (about 10%) and Asian Brown Flycatcher (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chestnut-naped Forktail is recorded against all the birds logged in Gunung Leuser National Park (27 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.
