Pictured above is Rhipiduridae fuliginosa, commonly known as the New Zealand fantail. The bird was seen singing and interacting in a group of about four birds along the old Doubtful Sound hiking trail near Deep Cove as well as near Lake Mapourika. The fantail is a small endemic bird species in New Zealand thatâs about 16cm long and weighs 8g. There are two color morphs, pied and black. Both have a cinnamon chest with a black and white tail. The black morph is rare on North Island and complies less than 5% of the fantails on South Island. They are commonly found on both the North and South Islands from Northland to Stewart Island. The birds can survive in a wide range of habitats, allowing them to be spread across the two islands. Their habitats can range from large or small forest patches, scrubland, exotic plantations, farms, and well-treed gardens or parks. The birds create small flocks during breeding season and decrease in numbers during prolonged cold and wet conditions. Fantails are scarcely found in open country that often gets snow. The fantail is known to be a very vocal bird producing chirp sounds as well as a loud, high-pitched song. They tend to be the most vocal during breeding season from August to March. The time and duration of their breeding is dependent on the climate that the birds are in. During breeding, they produce 2-5 eggs, which are incubated by both parents for about 14 days. Both parents also share feeding for another 14-day period. The males will continue to watch over the chicks as the female builds a new nest. Each pair can brood up to five times in one breeding season. The males are often very territorial during breeding and often remain near their territory of season as well. Fantails forage in the understory of the canopy and even above it in warm weather. When the weather is colder, they have a tendency to forage on the forest floor. The birds eat primarily small invertebrates such as moths, spiders, or flies and sometimes small fruit. To locate prey, the birds will flick their winds and fan their tails to frighten their prey and make them move. Fantails can kill larger prey by holding them down with a foot and pecking. Often when foraging, the birds cohabitate with others by sitting on branches waiting for prey to fall. They also have a strong association with foraging saddlebacks. As New Zealand was colonized, there were many ecological changes. The creation of large farm areas took out a lot of forestland. The fantails easily coped with this change due to their wide variety of habitats. The introduction of foreign mammals to New Zealand greatly impacted the native birds, including the fantails. These mammals disrupted the nesting adults, eggs, and chicks. The rats introduced by the MÄori people had the largest impact on the fantails.