# Forktail > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Forktail > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Forktail.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forktail > Source revision: 1345336556 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Genus of birds (Enicurus)}} {{about|the type of bird}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = Forktails | image = Little Forktail.jpg | image_caption = [Little forktail](/source/Little_forktail)
(''Enicurus scouleri'') | taxon = Enicurus | authority = [Temminck](/source/Coenraad_Jacob_Temminck), 1822 | type_species = ''[Enicurus coronatus](/source/White-crowned_forktail)''{{cite web |url= https://www.aviansystematics.org/4th-edition-checklist?viewfamilies=183 |title= Muscicapidae |author= |date= |website= aviansystematics.org |publisher= The Trust for Avian Systematics |access-date= 2023-07-15}} | type_species_authority = [Temminck](/source/Coenraad_Jacob_Temminck), 1822 }} The '''forktails''' are small [insectivorous](/source/insectivore) birds in the [genus](/source/genus) '''''Enicurus'''''. They were formerly placed in the [thrush](/source/thrush_(bird)) family, [Turdidae](/source/Turdidae), but are now treated as part of the Old World flycatcher family, [Muscicapidae](/source/Muscicapidae). Their common name derives from their long forked tail.{{Citation | first = Nigel | last = Collar | editor-first = Josep | editor-last = del Hoyo | editor2-first = Andrew | editor2-last = Elliott | editor3-first = David | editor3-last = Christie | contribution = Family Turdidae (Thrushes) | title = [Handbook of the Birds of the World](/source/Handbook_of_the_Birds_of_the_World). Volume 10, Cuckoo-shrikes to Thrushes | year = 2005 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/handbookofbirdso0001unse/page/805 805–807] | place = Barcelona | publisher = Lynx Edicions | isbn = 84-87334-72-5 }} These are southeast [Asia](/source/Asia)n forest species principally associated with mountain forests and streams. Most nest in rock crevices, laying 2–4 [eggs](/source/egg_(biology)). ==Taxonomy== The genus ''Enicurus'' was introduced in 1822 by the Dutch zoologist [Coenraad Jacob Temminck](/source/Coenraad_Jacob_Temminck) to accommodate ''Enicurus coronatus'', the [white-crowned forktail](/source/white-crowned_forktail), which is therefore the [type species](/source/type_species).{{ cite book | last=Temminck | first=Coenraad Jacob | author-link=Coenraad Jacob Temminck | year=1824| title=Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d'oiseaux, pour servir de suite et de complément aux planches enluminées de Buffon | volume=3 | at=Livraison 19, Plate 113 | publisher=F.G. Levrault | location=Paris | language=French | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/36705021 }} The 5 volumes were originally issued in 102 ''livraison'' (parts), 1820-1839. For the dates see: {{ cite journal | last=Dickinson | first=E.C. | author-link=Edward C. Dickinson | year=2001 | title=Systematic notes on Asian birds. 9. The ''Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées'' of Temminck & Laugier (1820–1839) | journal=Zoologische Verhandelingen, Leiden | volume=335 | issue= | pages=7–53 | url=http://repository.naturalis.nl/document/46425 }} Temminck's epithet is considered to be a [junior synonym](/source/junior_synonym) as four years earlier in 1818 [Louis Vieillot](/source/Louis_Pierre_Vieillot) had coined the [binomial name](/source/binomial_name) ''Turdus leschenaulti'' for the same species.{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Paynter | editor2-first=Raymond A. Jr | year=1964 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=10 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | pages=85–86 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14486274 }} The genus name combines the [Ancient Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek) ''henikos'' meaning "singular" with ''-ouros'' meaning "-tailed".{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | page=146 | url=https://archive.org/stream/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling#page/n146/mode/1up }} The following cladogram showing the relationships between the species is based on a [molecular phylogenetic](/source/molecular_phylogenetic) study of the Old World flycatchers published in 2023. The [Bornean forktail](/source/Bornean_forktail) (''Enicurus borneensis'') was not included.{{Cite journal | last1=Zhao | first1=M. | last2=Gordon Burleigh | first2=J. | last3=Olsson | first3=U. | last4=Alström | first4=P. | last5=Kimball | first5=R.T. | date=2023 | title=A near-complete and time-calibrated phylogeny of the Old World flycatchers, robins and chats (Aves, Muscicapidae) | journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume=178 | article-number=107646 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107646 | doi-access=free }} {{clade|style=font-size:90%;line-height:90% |label1='''''Enicurus''''' |1={{clade |1={{clade |1=[Little forktail](/source/Little_forktail), ''Enicurus scouleri'' |2={{clade |1=[Spotted forktail](/source/Spotted_forktail), ''Enicurus maculatus'' |2=[Slaty-backed forktail](/source/Slaty-backed_forktail), ''Enicurus schistaceus'' }} }} |2={{clade |1={{clade |1=[Black-backed forktail](/source/Black-backed_forktail), ''Enicurus immaculatus'' |2=[White-crowned forktail](/source/White-crowned_forktail), ''Enicurus leschenaulti'' }} |2={{clade |1=[Sunda forktail](/source/Sunda_forktail), ''Enicurus velatus'' |2=[Chestnut-naped forktail](/source/Chestnut-naped_forktail), ''Enicurus ruficapillus'' }} }} }} }} ==Species== The genus contains the following eight species:{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela C. Rasmussen | date=July 2023 | title=Chats, Old World flycatchers | work=IOC World Bird List Version 13.2 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/chats/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=29 November 2023}} * [Little forktail](/source/Little_forktail), ''Enicurus scouleri'' – mountains of eastern [Uzbekistan](/source/Uzbekistan) and northeastern Afghanistan through the Himalayas eastward to southeastern China and Taiwan, and southward to northern Indochina * [White-crowned forktail](/source/White-crowned_forktail), ''Enicurus leschenaulti'' – northeast India through southeast Asia to [Borneo](/source/Borneo), [Java](/source/Java) and [Bali](/source/Bali) * [Bornean forktail](/source/Bornean_forktail), ''Enicurus borneensis'' – mountains of northern [Borneo](/source/Borneo) * [Spotted forktail](/source/Spotted_forktail), ''Enicurus maculatus'' – east Afghanistan to central-south Vietnam * [Sunda forktail](/source/Sunda_forktail), ''Enicurus velatus'' – montane [Sumatra](/source/Sumatra) and [Java](/source/Java) * [Chestnut-naped forktail](/source/Chestnut-naped_forktail), ''Enicurus ruficapillus'' – southern Myanmar to southern Thailand, Malaya, [Sumatra](/source/Sumatra), and [Borneo](/source/Borneo) * [Black-backed forktail](/source/Black-backed_forktail), ''Enicurus immaculatus'' – rocky streams of northern India to Myanmar, southwestern China, and northwestern Thailand * [Slaty-backed forktail](/source/Slaty-backed_forktail), ''Enicurus schistaceus'' – rocky mountain streams of northern India to southern China and southeastern Asia ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Passerida|M.|state=collapsed}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q989763}} * Category:Birds of Asia --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Forktail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forktail) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forktail?action=history)). 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