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Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) Alternate name(s): "Red-vented Fantail", "Banded Fantail" Size: 19-22 cm Body mass: 11-14 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Northern Fantails are medium-sized fantails. They have a white throat patch that extends sideways to under the ear coverts. The chest and sides are covered by a wide grey band with light white streaking. The rest of the front (belly to undertail coverts) is white. The front of the head, except for thin, inconspicuous white eyebrows, is dark brownish-grey. The back of the head and the rest of the back are grey. The dark-grey wing feathers also have a brownish tinge. The long tail is dark-grey, with outer tail feathers that are edged white. The eyes have dark irises. The long, straight bill is dark-grey; the legs and feet are grey. Juveniles have browner colours than adults. Twitcher's tip Compared with Mangrove Fantails and Grey Fantails, they have a single, much wider chest band and an otherwise white front.

Taxonomy, classification See Northern Grey Fantail at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Northern Fantail is available HERE . There are two races of Northern Fantails. Race "gularis" is found on islands along the Torres Strait and farther North, in eastern Indonesia, Timor Leste, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Race "isura" is endemic to Australia and can be found in the tropical North of the continent. The range of Northern Fantails, race "isura", in Australia extends from about Port Hedland, WA, all through the Kimberley and the entire Top End of the NT, along a wide coastal margin along the South coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria and into most of Cape York peninsula in QLD. In the south-eastern part of the peninsula and along the QLD East coast, South of Cape Melville, their distribution is uncertain. There are patches with known populations as far South as about Townsville, QLD. Northern Fantails have a preference for wet, tropical forest and mangrove.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "isura" B. Hensen reports spotting Northern Fantail, race "isura", nesting in Darwin, NT, in September 2011. The species was next found at Lee Point, Darwin, NT, in August 2012. M. Mearns reports spotting a Northern Fantail, race "isura", in the harbour of Darwin, NT, in June 2014. We first spotted Northern Fantails, race "isura", in various locations in and around Darwin, NT, in August 2014. Various contributors report finding them in the same area semi-regularly. J. Greaves found Northern Fantails, race "isura", at Wurrumiyanga, Bathurst Island, NT, in September 2016. P. Brown reports finding Northern Fantails, race "isura", at Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, in April 2018, and at Tree Point Conservation Area, Shoal Bay, NT, in March 2019. A pair was found nesting at Umbrawarra Gorge, near Pine Creek, NT, in January 2020. They were later found there feeding one dependent juvenile. Another pair was found nesting at Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, in August 2023. M. Mearns found a Northern Fantail, race "isura", at Normanton, QLD, in September 2019. M. Eaton found Northern Fantails, race "isura", at various locations in the Top End of the NT in July 2020. The species was also found at Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, in September 2020. This location is at the southern edge of their distribution. Another was found in Lockerbie Scrub, Cape York peninsula, QLD, in June 2024. In June/July 2026, the species was again found in multiple locations in the Top End of the NT and in north-eastern WA.

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]

Close-up frontal view of a Northern Fantail with a clear view of its rectal bristles (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Streeters Jetty, Broome, WA, July 2026]

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]

Near-frontal view of a Northern Fantail with a clear view of its rectal bristles (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Streeters Jetty, Broome, WA, July 2026]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Northern Fantail looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tyto Wetlands, Ingham, QLD, September 2020]

Near-frontal view of a Northern Fantail looking sideways (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]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Northern Fantail (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Streeters Jetty, Broome, WA, July 2026]

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/ventral view of a Northern Fantail with its tail fanned (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin NP, Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a Northern Fantail (photo courtesy of P. Eaton)
[Streeters Jetty, Broome, WA, July 2026]

Near-dorsal view of a Northern Fantail looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Normanton, QLD, September 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Northern Fantail looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Little Mertens Falls, Mitchell River NP, WA, June 2026]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a Northern Fantail (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Streeters Jetty, Broome, WA, July 2026]

Dorsal view of a Northern Fantail looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Streeters Jetty, Broome, WA, July 2026]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of an immature Northern Fantail - note the brownish juvenile wing feathers (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin NP, Darwin, NT, February 2018]

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

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary

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_me_20260623.m4a	isura (N WA)	Territorial calls	© ME
norfant_20140820.m4a	isura (Darwin, NT)	Extended territorial call	© MD
norfant_me_20260706.m4a	isura (W NT)	Abbreviated territorial call (+ Bar-shouldered Dove)	© ME
norfant_me_20240616.m4a	isura (Far-N QLD)	Abbreviated territorial call	© ME
norfant_me_20260705_2.m4a	isura (N WA)	Warning calls	© ME
norfant_pb_20230813.mp3	isura (Darwin, NT)	Contact, warning calls + defending nest against Spangled Drongo	© PB
norfant_pb_20200619.m4a	isura (Darwin, NT)	?	© PB
norfant_me_20260705.m4a	isura (N WA)	?	© ME

Click here for more recordings

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

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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