Enicurus schistaceus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The slaty-backed forktail (Enicurus schistaceus) is a species of forktail in the family Muscicapidae. A slim, medium-sized forktail, it is distinguished from similar species by its slate grey forehead, crown, and mantle. It has a long and deeply forked tail banded in black and white, a white rump, and a white bar across its primary feathers; the rest of the plumage is predominantly white. The sexes look alike. The bird frequents the edges of fast-flowing streams and rivers, where it hunts small invertebrates by hopping among rocks or flying out over the water. It breeds between February and July, laying 3–4 pinkish, bluish, or white eggs; both sexes incubate the eggs.
The slaty-backed forktail is found near streams and rivers in tropical and subtropical regions, occasionally straying further from flowing water to the edges of roads and trails. Generally a solitary bird, it may occasionally be found in pairs, or in family groups in the breeding season. One of its calls has been described as similar to that of the Blyth's kingfisher, for which it has been mistaken. The forktail is found in the central and eastern Himalayas, the Indian Sub-continent, southern China and continental Southeast Asia. Its wide distribution and apparently stable population have led to it being classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namdapha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | |
| 3 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 5 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Jim Corbett National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Slaty-backed Forktail sighting in Manas National Park on a given day, based on 49 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 243rd most-seen of the 377 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Slaty-backed Forktail in Manas National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–October and December, the lowest months. Those are among Manas National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain a month against 1070 mm in June.
Between 2 and 5 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Slaty-backed 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.
5th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Slaty-backed Forktail sightings, Manas National Park ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Namdapha National Park (India, about 50%), Royal Manas National Park (Bhutan, about 30%) and Doi Inthanon National Park (Thailand, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Slaty-backed Forktail is recorded against all the birds logged in Manas National Park (49 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.
