Forktail Explained

The forktails are small insectivorous birds in the genus Enicurus. They were formerly placed in the thrush family, Turdidae, but are now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. Their common name derives from their long forked tail.

These are southeast Asian forest species principally associated with mountain forests and streams. Most nest in rock crevices, laying 2–4 eggs.

Taxonomy

The genus Enicurus was introduced in 1822 by the Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck to accommodate Enicurus coronatus, the white-crowned forktail, which is therefore the type species.^[1] Temminck's epithet is considered to be a junior synonym as four years earlier in 1818 Louis Vieillot had coined the binomial name Turdus leschenaulti for the same species.^[2] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek henikos meaning "singular" with -ouros meaning "-tailed".^[3]

The following cladogram showing the relationships between the species is based on a molecular phylogenetic study of the Old World flycatchers published in 2023. The Bornean forktail (Enicurus borneensis) was not included.^[4]

Species

The genus contains the following eight species:^[5]

• Little forktail, Enicurus scouleri
• Black-backed forktail, Enicurus immaculatus
• Slaty-backed forktail, Enicurus schistaceus
• Spotted forktail, Enicurus maculatus
• White-crowned forktail, Enicurus leschenaulti
• Bornean forktail, Enicurus borneensis
• Chestnut-naped forktail, Enicurus ruficapillus
• Sunda forktail, Enicurus velatus

Notes and References

1. Book: Temminck, Coenraad Jacob . Coenraad Jacob Temminck . 1824. Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d'oiseaux, pour servir de suite et de complément aux planches enluminées de Buffon . 3 . Livraison 19, Plate 113 . F.G. Levrault . Paris . French . The 5 volumes were originally issued in 102 livraison (parts), 1820-1839. For the dates see: Dickinson . E.C. . Edward C. Dickinson . 2001 . Systematic notes on Asian birds. 9. The Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées of Temminck & Laugier (1820–1839) . Zoologische verhandelingen Leiden . 335 . 7-53 .
2. Book: Mayr . Ernst . Ernst Mayr . Paynter . Raymond A. Jr . 1964 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 10 . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 85-86 .
3. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 146 .
4. Zhao . M. . Gordon Burleigh . J. . Olsson . U. . Alström . P. . Kimball . R.T. . 2023 . A near-complete and time-calibrated phylogeny of the Old World flycatchers, robins and chats (Aves, Muscicapidae) . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 178 . 107646 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107646 . free .
5. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela C. Rasmussen . July 2023 . Chats, Old World flycatchers . IOC World Bird List Version 13.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 29 November 2023.