spotted forktail

Enicurus maculatus

The spotted forktail is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae.

It is found in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.Features: 25 cm with long tail. Sexes alike. White forehead, fore crown; black crown,nape;black back spotted white; broad, white wing-bar, rump; deeply forked, graduated black and white tail; black till breast, white below. The white spotted back easily identifies this species from other similar sized fork-tails in the Himalaya. Solitary or in scattered pairs; active bird, moving on mossy boulders at water's edge or in mid- stream; long, forked tail gracefully swayed, almost always kept horizontal; flies low over streams, calling; sometimes rests in shade of forest; commonly seen bird of the Himalaya. Food: aquatic insects, molluscs. Voice: shrill, screechy KREE call, mostly in flight; also some shrill,squeaky notes on perch. Range: the Himalaya; breeds mostly 1200-3600m; descends to about 600m in winter. Habitat: boulder- strewn torrents, forest streams, road side canals.
Status: Least concern
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyMuscicapidae
GenusEnicurus
SpeciesE. maculatus
Photographed in
Bhutan