Enicurus leschenaulti
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Namdapha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 6 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 7 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 9 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hangzhou | 🇨🇳 China |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-crowned Forktail sighting in Sepilok on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 175th most-seen of the 242 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-crowned Forktail in Sepilok on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
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.
7th of 9
Of the 9 parks where we can rate White-crowned Forktail sightings, Sepilok ranks 7th at under 5%. The best odds are in Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, about 30%), Namdapha National Park (India, about 30%) and Doi Inthanon National Park (Thailand, about 10%).
Same family: Muscicapidae
The closest relatives of the White-crowned Forktail that you can see in Sepilok (family Muscicapidae, Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats) are White-crowned Shama (about 30%), Oriental Magpie-Robin (about 30%) and Verditer Flycatcher (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-crowned Forktail is recorded against all the birds logged in Sepilok (28 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.
