The yellow-bellied fantail, also known as the yellow-bellied fairy-fantail, is found in the Indian subcontinent, the Himalayas, and portions of Southeast Asia including Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. It is an altitudinal migrant.
Region
Himalayas and Mainland Southeast Asia
Typical Environment
Occurs from the central and eastern Himalayas (Nepal, Bhutan, and northeastern India) through northern Myanmar and southwestern China (including Yunnan) to northern Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. It inhabits moist montane broadleaf and mixed forests, often with rhododendron, bamboo, and mossy understory. Birds breed at higher elevations and descend to lower hill forests outside the breeding season. It frequents forest edges, ravines, and streams where insect prey is abundant.
Altitude Range
600–3200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A tiny, hyperactive fantail that incessantly flicks and fans its tail while foraging. It is often a core member of mixed-species feeding flocks in montane forests. Now placed in the monotypic genus Chelidorhynx, it was formerly grouped with true fantails. Populations make seasonal elevational movements, descending to lower slopes in winter.
Yellow-bellied fantail at Zuluk, Sikkim
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Often joins mixed-species flocks, moving quickly through foliage in small groups or pairs. Builds a neat cup nest suspended in a fork or on a branch, typically near streams or in dense vegetation. Both sexes participate in nest building and chick provisioning.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
High, thin, sibilant trills and rapid tinkling phrases delivered in brief bursts. Contact calls are sharp, high-pitched tsit notes given frequently while foraging.
Plumage
Compact, short-tailed fantail with bright yellow underparts and olive-green upperparts; face shows a contrasting dark mask with a bold white supercilium. Wings have pale edging and the tail shows white corners when fanned.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small flying and arboreal insects, including flies, moths, and tiny beetles. Gleans from leaves and twigs and makes short sallies to snatch prey mid-air. Frequently forages at mid-levels to canopy height, often following other insectivores in mixed flocks. Takes advantage of disturbed insects along forest trails and near streams.
Preferred Environment
Forages along forest edges, gaps, and streamside vegetation within montane evergreen and mixed broadleaf forests. Often uses dense foliage and bamboo thickets for cover while actively gleaning.
