Spotted Forktail (Enicurus maculatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Spotted Forktail

Enicurus maculatus Vigors, 1831

≈23 cmLength40 gWeight

This forktail has white spots on the back and a deeply forked tail, and is often found beside forest streams.

Busiest months: January–February · Most records: India, Nepal, China

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

  1. White spots on a black back
  2. White forehead; black crown and nape
  3. A single broad white wing-bar
  4. Deeply forked tail, black-and-white

Male, female and young

Sexes similar.

Voice

A sharp, grating “KREE”, usually given in flight; thin, high-pitched squeaks when perched.

Where and when it's recorded

Spotted Forktail has been recorded at 163 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. SattalIndia611 records
  2. Munsyari – Bheema WodeyarIndia530 records
  3. PangotIndia227 records
More places
  1. Mt. Phulchowki - Lowest Few Miles of RoadNepal210 records
  2. Ichangu NarayanNepal160 records
  3. Shivapuri-Nagarjun National ParkNepal108 records
  4. Emei Peak NNRChina96 records
  5. Baihualing [General Area]China94 records
  6. Mt. PhulchowkiNepal89 records
  7. Shivapuri-Nagarjun National Park - Mudkhu BhanjyangNepal82 records

Countries and regions with the most records

IndiaNepalChinaBhutanVietnamPakistanMyanmar (Burma)

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The spotted forktail (Enicurus maculatus) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in the Himalayas and the hills of Northeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and southern China including Yunnan. Birds of this species are 25 cm with a long tail.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Spotted Forktail?

The Spotted Forktail is about ≈23 cm long and weighs around 40 g.

Where does the Spotted Forktail live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: eastern Afghanistan to south-central Vietnam. It is most often recorded in India, Nepal and China.

When is the best time to see the Spotted Forktail?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January and February (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Spotted Forktail endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Spotted Forktail as Least Concern.

What does the Spotted Forktail eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Spotted Forktail in?

It belongs to the family Chats, Old World Flycatchers (Muscicapidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
≈23 cm
Weight
40 g
Habitat
Wetland
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
102 mm
Tail
145 mm
Bill
22 mm
Tarsus
29 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental: eastern Afghanistan to south-central Vietnam

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 2
  • Enicurus maculatus guttatus e Himalayas, Myanmar and sw China
  • Enicurus maculatus bacatus se China and n Indochina

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Chats, Old World Flycatchers Muscicapidae
Genus
Enicurus

Other birds in the genus Enicurus

Little ForktailLittle ForktailEnicurus scouleriBlack-backed ForktailBlack-backed ForktailEnicurus immaculatusSlaty-backed ForktailSlaty-backed ForktailEnicurus schistaceusWhite-crowned ForktailWhite-crowned ForktailEnicurus leschenaultiBornean ForktailBornean ForktailEnicurus borneensisChestnut-naped ForktailChestnut-naped ForktailEnicurus ruficapillusSunda ForktailSunda ForktailEnicurus velatusWhite-tailed AletheWhite-tailed AletheAlethe diademataFire-crested AletheFire-crested AletheAlethe castaneaKaroo Scrub RobinKaroo Scrub RobinTychaedon coryphoeus
Spotted Forktail

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Asas Husain. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages