Rhipiduridae Fantails

These earth-colored songbirds, with an eyestripe or throat-patch in most, are named for their habit of fanning their tails as they move actively along branches in Australasian and South Asian forests. This rapid opening and closing of the tail feathers reveals and hides white tail-spots that are thought to startle insects into moving, revealing themselves and being captured by these quiet and generally inconspicuous birds. Most species are excellent aerial hunters as well. The family exhibits catholic tastes in habitat preferences, from mangrove forests and tropical rainforests to deserts and suburban environments.