Little Forktail

Enicurus scouleri (Vigors, 1832)

2016-04-29 Surkhandarya region, Sangardak gorge	©

Description

The adult males and females have the black bluish tinged head (except the forehead), neck, craw and back. The wings are black-brown with the broad white across band. The forehead; band across the back; breast and abdomen are white. The tail is dichromatic. The two central pairs of the tail feathers are black-brown with white bases; the outer pair is all white; the other tail feathers are white with the dark terminal spots, less on the outer feathers and larger on the feathers closer to center. The legs are pinkish-white almost white. The bill is black. The eyes are dark-brown. Juveniles have the brownish-black upperparts except the broad white band across the back and wings; and whitish uppertail. The underparts are white with blackish-grey borders on the tips of feathers of the craw and breast.

References

"Птицы Казахстана" том 3. "Наука". Алма-Ата, 1970.