Grey Fantails: new generation
Grey Fantail, Rhipidura albiscapa
Grey Fantail, perched over three nestlings.
Grey Fantails, Rhipidura albiscapa, breed from July to January and may raise several sets of young during this time. Once eggs are laid, it takes two weeks for incubation and then it takes another three weeks before the young leave the nest.
We have been observing this nest for just a little time, watching as a pair of adults feed and brood over three young birds. As with Fairy-wrens, paternity for the nestlings can be mixed. The adult pair – the markings of male and female are essentially the same – share feeding duties, bringing insects of all kinds to their hungry young. The frequency of visits with food was up to a minute-and-a-half over the last few days.
Three young birds, waiting between feedings
Three hungry nestlings
One nestling more active than its siblings
On the first day of the new year, the nest had been abandoned.
Empty nest. The nest shape – like an open cup – is a feature of Grey Fantails. Nest locations are selected and built by females and the nests are made of bark and dry grass and coated with spider webbing.
The nestlings had remained very still in-between visits from their parents but there is a high level of nest depredation for Grey Fantails (up to 83% according to Munro (2007)) – Pied Currawongs are known predators and these can be a high-profile bird in the Reserve – and we thought this group of nestlings must have been taken.
It was wonderful to see that one had actually successfully fledged.
Baby Grey Fantail has successfully left the nest
The adults continued to feed the remaining young bird – and we had no clue as to the eventual fate of the two siblings. It is more rufous in colouring than its parents, with remaining fluff evident.
A successful effort
One of the parents – a blush of colour can still be seen on the underside
Sources and further information
Beckman, C., Biro, P.A. & Martin, K. (2015) Hierarchical analysis of avian re-nesting behavior: mean, across-individual, and intra-individual responses, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, 69 (10), 1631-1638 – see http://dro.deakin.edu.au/view/DU:30077919
Birds In Backyards (n.d.) Grey Fantail Basic Information – see http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Rhipidura-albiscapa
Edward Hunter Heritage Bush Reserve 
That image of the “more active” nestling is amazing! I wonder if it is the one who successfully fledged?
I also found a nesting pair in the Alpine National Park 6 hours from my home. Visited them a week later and 3 healthy chicks. So expected 2 more weekends to visit them. for 3 weeks fledging. However on the second week the nest was empty. So that was somewhere between a week and half to 2 weeks maximum. By rights they wouldn’t have fledged. There were plenty of Pied Currawongs in the area, so did they meet a sad end? On my last day I did see a family of 5 Grey fantails fly past in the distance, probably another family.
Hi David,
Thanks for your comment.
We, like you, have noticed a relationship between a healthy currawong population and somewhat of a decrease in small bird numbers.