The forktails are small

insectivorous A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores were ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

s in the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Enicurus''. They were formerly in the thrush family,

Turdidae The thrushes are a passerine bird family, Turdidae, with a worldwide distribution. The family was once much larger before biologists reclassified the former subfamily Saxicolinae, which includes the chats and European robins, as Old World flycat ...

, but are more often now treated as part of the

Old World flycatcher The Old World flycatchers are a large family, the Muscicapidae, of small passerine birds restricted to the Old World (Europe, Africa and Asia), with the exception of several vagrants and two species, Bluethroat (''Luscinia svecica)'' and Norther ...

family, Muscicapidae. Their name derives from their long forked tail. These are southeast

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

n forest species principally associated with mountain forests and streams. Most nest in rock crevices, laying 2–4

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

Species

The genus contains the following eight species: *

Little forktail The little forktail (''Enicurus scouleri'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. The specific name commemorates Dr John Scouler of Glasgow. Description The sexes are alike, with black and white plumage. Black above, with white for ...

, ''Enicurus scouleri'' *

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 mo ...

, ''Enicurus velatus'' *

Chestnut-naped forktail The chestnut-naped forktail (''Enicurus ruficapillus'') is a species of bird in the flycatcher and chat family Muscicapidae. The species is monotypic, having no subspecies. It is found in Sundaland, in southern Burma and Thailand to Peninsular M ...

, ''Enicurus ruficapillus'' *

Black-backed forktail The black-backed forktail (''Enicurus immaculatus''), occasionally referred to as the black-throated forktail, is a forktail species in the family Muscicapidae. The species was described in 1836, from a specimen collected in Nepal. It is a medi ...

, ''Enicurus immaculatus'' *

Slaty-backed forktail The slaty-backed forktail (''Enicurus schistaceus'') is a species of forktail in the family Muscicapidae. A slim, medium-sized forktail, it is distinguished from similar species by its slate grey forehead, crown, and mantle. It has a long and d ...

, ''Enicurus schistaceus'' *

White-crowned forktail The white-crowned forktail (''Enicurus leschenaulti'') is a species of forktail in the family Muscicapidae. Scientifically described in 1818, it has five subspecies, each occupying a different geographic range. The largest of the forktails, '' ...

, ''Enicurus leschenaulti'' *

Bornean forktail The Bornean forktail (''Enicurus borneensis'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found on Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre o ...

, ''Enicurus borneensis'' *

Spotted forktail 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&n ...

, ''Enicurus maculatus''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q989763 *