Sunda Forktail

About the Sunda Forktail

The Sunda forktail (Enicurus velatus) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to Indonesia, where it is restricted to the islands of Java and Sumatra. Its natural habitat is boulder strewn streams in tropical moist montane forest from 600–2000 m. More rarely the species occurs closer to sea level. The species is common in Sumatra, but is rarer in Java, where the white-crowned forktail is more common.

The Sunda forktail was formally described and illustrated in 1822 by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck under the binomial name Enicurus velatus. The specific epithet velatus is Latin meaning "veiled". Two subspecies are recognised:

E. v. sumatranus Robinson & Kloss, 1923 – montane Sumatra E. v. velatus Temminck, 1822 – montane Java The Sunda forktail is 16 cm (6.3 in) in length with a deeply forked tail. The male has a white breast, belly and rump, and black wings, and a dark grey back and head. There is a small white line between the eyes. The tail is black with white barring. The female is similar to the male but has a brown crown and nape. The nominate race is found on Java. The Sumatran subspecies, sumatranus, differs... Wikipedia →