Rhipiduridae, Sundevall, 1872

Andersen, Michael J., Fatdal, Lilly, Mauck III, William M. & Smith, Brian Tilston, 2017, An ornithological survey of Vanuatu on the islands of Éfaté, Malakula, Gaua, and Vanua Lava, Check List 13 (6), pp. 755-782 : 764

Rhipiduridae

Rhipidura verreauxi spilodera Marie, 1870 , Streaked Fantail: Figure 3E

Streaked Fantail was one of the most common and widespread understory forest birds we observed ( Fig. 3E). It was the most frequently captured bird in mist nests on all 4 islands we surveyed. Indeed, it was common throughout and its IUCN status is Least Concern. It is a small, brownish passerine with a long, broadly fanned tail. Underparts are paler with bold, blurry streaking on the breast, separated by a white throat. Its face is black accented by white loral and post-ocular stripes. Its only congener in Vanuatu, Gray Fantail ( R. albiscapa ) has yellow underparts with a broad black breast band. These 2 species segregated by habitat preference: R. verreauxi was found exclusively in forest, whereas R. albiscapa was in forest edge, second growth, and villages. Streaked Fantail was a highly vocal component of the dawn chorus with its high-pitched, whistled song. Multiple male specimens throughout the survey had enlarged testes and seminal vesicles and females had convoluted oviducts; however, breeding evidence in specimens from Vanua Lava was less pronounced (e.g., smooth ovaries and straight oviducts in all females examined).