The Taveuni silktail is a species of bird endemic to Fiji. This beautiful bird looks superficially like a diminutive bird-of-paradise but it is actually closely related to the fantails.
Region
Fiji Islands
Typical Environment
Occurs almost exclusively in primary and mature secondary rainforest on Taveuni, favoring dense, humid understory with abundant vines, ferns, and saplings. It uses forest edges, stream gullies, and ridge forests, but is most frequent inside intact forest. Birds move through the mid-story and lower canopy, making short sallies to snatch prey from leaves and air. It generally avoids open farmland and heavily degraded habitats, though it may traverse narrow corridors between forest patches.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Endemic to the Fijian island of Taveuni, the Taveuni silktail looks like a tiny bird-of-paradise but is more closely related to fantails. Its satiny black plumage and bright white rump and tail patches flash dramatically in the dim rainforest. It forages acrobatically in the undergrowth and mid-story, often flicking its tail. Habitat loss and invasive predators are ongoing concerns, though much of Taveuni retains good forest cover.
Temperament
shy but active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick flits and brief sallies
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs, sometimes family groups after breeding. Pairs maintain small territories and move methodically through dense understory. The nest is a small cup placed on a fork or horizontal branch, likely bound with spider silk similar to fantails.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Soft, high-pitched trills and thin whistles delivered from within cover. Calls include sharp ticking notes and delicate see-see phrases, often given while foraging.
Plumage
Velvety black with a silky sheen, accented by iridescent blue spangling on the upperparts and breast in good light. Striking white rump and white outer tail feathers form a conspicuous flash when the tail is fanned.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods such as insects and spiders. It gleans prey from leaves, stems, and bark, and also makes short aerial sallies to capture flying insects. Occasional probing among leaf litter and dead fronds is reported, especially around stream edges.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in the shaded understory and mid-story of humid rainforest, along forested streams, and in vine tangles. It prefers structurally complex microhabitats that provide both perches and concealment.
