21 |
![]() |
Northern FantailAlternate name(s): "Red-vented Fantail", "Banded Fantail" Size: 19-22 cm Weight: 11-14 g |
![]() |
Similar |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
|
||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Photos |
Race "isura"
![]() |
ADULT |
Sex unknown |
Full-frontal view of a Northern Fantail
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin NP, Darwin, NT, February 2018]
Frontal view of a Northern Fantail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP,
NT, July 2020]
Frontal view of a Northern Fantail
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Tree Point Conservation Area, Shoal Bay, NT, March 2019]
Frontal view of a Northern Fantail without tail feathers
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, June 2020]
Close-up near-frontal view of a Northern Fantail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, September 2020]
Near-frontal view of a Northern Fantail
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, July 2020]
Near-lateral view of a Northern Fantail (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wurrumiyanga, Bathurst Island, NT, September 2016]
Near-lateral view of a Northern Fantail on the ground
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wurrumiyanga, Bathurst Island, NT, September 2016]
Near-lateral view of a Northern Fantail (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2012]
Lateral view of a Northern Fantail (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Normanton, QLD, September 2019]
Lateral view of a Northern Fantail (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]
Lateral view of a Northern Fantail without tail feathers
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, June 2020]
Lateral view of a Northern Fantail (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin NP, Darwin, NT, February 2018]
Lateral/ventral view of a Northern Fantail with its tail fanned
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin NP, Darwin, NT, February 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a Northern Fantail (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin NP, Darwin, NT, February 2018]
Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Northern Fantail
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT, July 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a Northern Fantail (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Normanton, QLD, September 2019]
![]() |
IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Near-lateral view of a juvenile Northern Fantail; note the
buff tips on the wing coverts
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2020]
Near-lateral view of a juvenile Northern Fantail; note the
buff tips on the wing coverts
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2020]
Lateral view of a juvenile Northern Fantail; note the
buff tips on the wing coverts
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2020]
![]() |
Breeding information |
Breeding season: Aug - Jan | Eggs: 2 | Incubation period: 12 - 14 days | Fledging age: 13 - 15 days |
In favourable conditions Northern Fantails can have two broods per season.
Nest building: Female & male | Incubation: Female & male | Dependent care: Female & male |
![]() |
Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Basket with tail | Material: Paperbark, spider webs | Height above ground: 2 - 20 m |
Northern Fantail chick in its nest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, August 2023]
Northern Fantail chick begging to be fed
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, August 2023]
Northern Fantail bringing food for its chick
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, August 2023]
Northern Fantail feeding its chick
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, August 2023]
Northern Fantail attending to its chick, possibly waiting for
a discharge
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, August 2023]
Northern Fantail brooding to its chick
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, August 2023]
Northern Fantail feeding one of its two chicks
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Umbrawarra
Gorge, near Pine Creek, NT, January 2020]
Northern Fantail at its nest, with one of its two chicks
seen begging (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Umbrawarra Gorge,
near Pine Creek, NT, January 2020]
Close-up near-frontal view of a Northern Fantail sitting on its nest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, August 2023]
Northern Fantail nest still under construction
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[East Point, Darwin, NT, October 2023]
Northern Fantail bringing cobwebs to bind its nest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[East Point, Darwin, NT, October 2023]
Northern Fantail bringing more material for its nest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[East Point, Darwin, NT, October 2023]
Northern Fantail working on the cup of its nest
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[East Point, Darwin, NT, October 2023]
Northern Fantail taking off from its nest
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Darwin, NT, September 2011]
For Northern Fantails nesting is clearly teamwork - from
construction...
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2020]
... right through to the incubation phase
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2020]
![]() |
Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 17 x 15 mm | Colour: Off-white to creamy, with light- to mid-brown speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
![]() |
Behaviour |
Northern Fantail basking in the sun on a "cool" day (26 C maximum)
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, May 2021]
![]() |
Food, Diet |
Like all other fantails, Northern Fantails feed primarily on insects and spiders.
Northern Fantail with its prey, a butterfly (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coomalie Creek, 90 km south of Darwin, NT, June 2018]
Northern Fantail with its prey, a dragonfly (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coomalie Creek, 90 km south of Darwin, NT, June 2018]
Northern Fantail whacking its prey to death
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT, July 2019]
![]() |
Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
norfant_20140816_4.m4a |
isura (Darwin, NT) |
Territorial calls | © MD | |
norfant_20140820.m4a |
isura (Darwin, NT) |
Extended territorial call | © MD | |
norfant_pb_20230813.mp3 |
isura (Darwin, NT) |
Contact, warning calls + defending nest against Spangled Drongo | © PB | |
norfant_pb_20200619.m4a |
isura (Darwin, NT) |
? | © PB |

More Northern Fantail sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.