White-Crowned Forktail

K.Dhanapal
Retired Forest Officer and Birder from Tamil Nadu

When you are near a fast-flowing stream in a tropical or sub-tropical forest in the Himalayas, you are likely to encounter a high-pitched whistle followed by a fast-flying bird. That’s the White-crowned Forktail.

Forktails are charismatic and energetic birds found along the forest streams with distinct black and white patches and deep forked tails that sway up and down. The Himalayan region hosts five of the seven species found in Southeast Asia.

They belong to the Old World Flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), primarily found in the mountains of the Indian Subcontinent, China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia through Indonesia.

Little Forktail, Black -backed Forktail, Slaty-backed Forktail, Spotted Forktail, White-crowned Forktail, Bornean Forktail, and Chestnut-naped Forktail are the seven species, and the first five are found in the Himalayan region from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh. Borenean and Chestnut-naped are not found in India. All the species have long tails except Little Forktail. 

White-crowned Forktail (Enicurus leschenaulti) is restricted to eastern Himalayas, in Northeastern states like Assam, Arunachal and Meghalaya in the Indian subcontinent.  Forktails typically hops from stone to stone, restless with tail constantly swaying up and down, forages on insects along the streams. They feed on aquatic insects and their larvae and small molluscs.

They work steadily upstream, in and around the stream bed, probing the gaps between rocks. They also make aerial jumps to get the flying insects. They also frequent damp areas and pools within the forest, including animal wallows, swampy areas and ditches. Mostly they prefer areas with dense vegetation.

White crowned Forktail is the largest of all Forktails measuring about 25-28 cm in length. Their diet includes Black beetles, water cricket and caterpillars. They make elaborate series of sweet high-pitched calls while moving along the stream. Described as a shy bird, it flies close to the ground, usually calling as it does. The bird’s name is derived from the prominent white patch on its crown, which can sometimes appear as a slight crest. The tail is long, deeply forked, and adorned with black bands, adding to its distinctive appearance.

In the Himalayas, they breed from April to June, and it varies with the region. The nest is constructed of moss, plants, leaves, and wood fibre and is in the shape of a large cup, which is usually located near or over the water. Nests are usually placed in a hole in a bank or cliff, or among tree roots, and has been observed to have been constructed behind waterfalls. They fly through the waterfalls to reach their nests. They usually lay between two to five eggs. The number of eggs in a brood varies with latitude.

The White crowned Forktail was formally described in 1818 by French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot, based on a specimen that had been collected in Java.

White crowned Forktail population is scarce in the Himalayas, but fairly common in the Southeast Asian range. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies this species as “Least Concern”. Though they are not threatened globally, we need to preserve their habitat for future sustenance.