CreatureData

Slaty-backed forktail

Enicurus schistaceus (Hodgson, 1836)

LCLeast Concernsongbirds

The slaty-backed forktail (Enicurus schistaceus) is a species in the family Muscicapidae, order Passeriformes. Recorded adults weigh 31 g to 31.3 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Slaty-backed forktail (Enicurus schistaceus)
Photo: Mildeep · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the slaty-backed forktail

Weight
31 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Aquatic predatorsrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
riverinesrc for Habitat
Young per litter or clutch
2.8src for Young per litter or clutch
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Sedentarysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the slaty-backed forktail live?

Not recorded

What is the slaty-backed forktail?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The slaty-backed forktail (Enicurus schistaceus) is a species of forktail in the family Muscicapidae. A slim, medium-sized forktail, it is distinguished from similar species by its slate grey forehead, crown, and mantle. It has a long and deeply forked tail banded in black and white, a white rump, and a white bar across its primary feathers; the rest of the plumage is predominantly white. The sexes look alike. The bird frequents the edges of fast-flowing streams and rivers, where it hunts small invertebrates by hopping among rocks or flying out over the water. It breeds between February and July, laying 3–4 pinkish, bluish, or white eggs; both sexes incubate the eggs.

The slaty-backed forktail is found near streams and rivers in tropical and subtropical regions, occasionally straying further from flowing water to the edges of roads and trails. Generally a solitary bird, it may occasionally be found in pairs, or in family groups in the breeding season. One of its calls has been described as similar to that of the Blyth's kingfisher, for which it has been mistaken. The forktail is found in the central and eastern Himalayas, the Indian Sub-continent, southern China and continental Southeast Asia. Its wide distribution and apparently stable population have led to it being classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

From the Wikipedia article “Slaty-backed forktail” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slaty-backed_forktail&oldid=1318822254), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the slaty-backed forktail endangered?

The slaty-backed forktail is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species. What the categories mean.

How is the slaty-backed forktail classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderPasseriformes
  5. familyMuscicapidae
  6. genusEnicurus
  7. SpeciesEnicurus schistaceus (Hodgson, 1836)

Synonyms Enicurus schistaceus leucoschistus, Henicurus schistaceus leucoschistus, Motacilla schistaceus

Other names and names in other languages (29)
  • enicur de dors grisCatalan
  • drozdek šedohřbetýCzech
  • robin gynffonfforchog cefnlwydWelsh
  • Grånakket KløfthaleDanish
  • GraurückenscherenschwanzGerman
  • Graurücken-ScherenschwanzGerman
  • ardezdorsa enikuroEsperanto
  • Torrentero dorsigrísSpanish
  • hall-käärsabaEstonian
  • liuskehaarapyrstöFinnish
  • Énicure ardoiséFrench
  • szürkehátú villásrigóHungarian
  • Codaforcuta dorsoardesiaItalian
  • セアオエンビシキチョウJapanese
  • pilkanugaris šakotuodegis strazdasLithuanian
  • Burung Cegar BesarMalay
  • GrijsrugvorkstaartDutch
  • GrijsmantelvorkstaartDutch
  • skiferkløftstjertNorwegian
  • widłogon maskowyPolish
  • torrenteiro-de-dorso-cinzentoPortuguese
  • Сероспинная вилохвосткаRussian
  • vidličiarka bridlicováSlovak
  • Sivoleđa rašljorepkaSerbian
  • gråryggig klyvstjärtSwedish
  • นกกางเขนน้ำหลังเทาThai
  • Arduvaz Sırtlı ÇatalkuyrukTurkish
  • вилохвістка масковаUkrainian
  • 灰背燕尾Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the slaty-backed forktail

Other species in the same genus Enicurus.

CompareSlaty-backed forktail vs Little forktailSlaty-backed forktail vs Javan forktailSlaty-backed forktail vs Black-backed forktailSlaty-backed forktail vs Spotted forktail

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the slaty-backed forktail?

An adult slaty-backed forktail weighs 31 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the slaty-backed forktail endangered?

The slaty-backed forktail is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

What kind of animal is the slaty-backed forktail?

The slaty-backed forktail (Enicurus schistaceus) belongs to the family Muscicapidae in the order Passeriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Slaty-backed forktail (Enicurus schistaceus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/slaty-backed-forktail

MLA

“Slaty-backed forktail (Enicurus schistaceus).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/slaty-backed-forktail.

BibTeX
@misc{slaty_backed_forktail_2026,
  title = {Slaty-backed forktail (Enicurus schistaceus)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/slaty-backed-forktail},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}