Rhipidura albiscapa
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The grey fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa) is a small insectivorous bird. There is no sexual dimorphism. It is a common fantail found in Australia, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The species is considered by many to be conspecific with the New Zealand fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa); however, differences in its calls lead some authorities to treat it as a separate species. The studies of grey fantail in 1999 by Richard Schodde and Ian Mason recommended that Tasmanian grey fantail was formally classified as R. albiscapa and New Zealand fantails populations as R. fuliginosa
This species is mid-to-dark grey or grey-brown above, lighter (often yellowish/orange) below, with a white throat, white markings over the eye, and with (depending on the race) either white-edged or entirely white outer tail feathers. It grows to 16 cm (6.3 in) in length, of which half is the tail, which, as the name implies, is often displayed fanned out. This reveals that the outer tail feathers are light and the centre ones are dark. Some races, such as keasti, have a darker plumage.
This species is easily seen while walking in eucalypt forest, rainforest, mangroves, heath, and wooded... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Noosa National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 17 | Rottnest Island | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 18 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 19 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 20 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 21 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Fantail sighting in Ningaloo Marine Park on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 61st most-seen of the 102 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Fantail in Ningaloo Marine Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months. That is one of Ningaloo Marine Park's wettest months, with about 50 mm of rain against almost none in October.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Grey Fantail sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
18th of 21
Of the 21 parks where we can rate Grey Fantail sightings, Ningaloo Marine Park ranks 18th at about 10%. The best odds are in Maria Island National Park (Australia, about 80%), Great Otway National Park (Australia, about 70%) and Flinders Chase (Australia, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Rhipidura
The closest relatives of the Grey Fantail that you can see in Ningaloo Marine Park (genus Rhipidura, Fantails) are Mangrove Fantail (about 30%) and Willie Wagtail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Grey Fantail is recorded against all the birds logged in Ningaloo Marine Park (25 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.
