About Enicurus maculatus Vigors, 1831
The spotted forktail, whose scientific name is Enicurus maculatus, is a bird species that belongs to the family Muscicapidae. This species is distributed in the Himalayas, the hills of Northeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and southern China, including Yunnan. Adult spotted forktails measure 25 cm in length and have long tails. Both males and females have identical plumage: they have a white forehead, black crown and nape, a black back marked with white spots, and a broad white wing bar. Their tail is deeply forked, with alternating graduated bands of black and white. The distinct white spotting on the back sets this species apart from other forktails of a similar size. Its typical call is a shrill, screechy KREE, which it most often gives while flying; it also produces a series of shrill, squeaky notes when perched. Spotted forktails mostly breed at elevations between 1200 m and 3600 m, and descend to around 600 m in elevation during the winter. Their natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, where they inhabit boulder-strewn torrents, forest streams, and roadside canals.
