Enicurus schistaceus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
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 |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Slaty-backed Forktail sighting in Royal Manas National Park on a given day, based on 385 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 27th most-seen of the 388 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Slaty-backed Forktail in Royal Manas National Park on a given day, against about 10% in June, the lowest month. That is one of Royal Manas National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 930 mm in July. August and September have too few records to rate.
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.
2nd of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Slaty-backed Forktail sightings, Royal Manas National Park ranks 2nd at about 30%. The best odds are in Namdapha National Park (India, about 50%).
Same genus: Enicurus
The closest relatives of the Slaty-backed Forktail that you can see in Royal Manas National Park (genus Enicurus, Forktails) are Spotted Forktail (about 10%) and Black-backed Forktail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Slaty-backed Forktail is recorded against all the birds logged in Royal Manas National Park (385 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.
