Slaty-backed Forktail
Enicurus schistaceus (Hodgson, 1836)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
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.
Wikipedia contributors, Slaty-backed forktail; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:50:27.485432+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Enicurus schistaceus (Hodgson, 1836)
- Name authority
- (Hodgson, 1836)
- Common name
- Slaty-backed Forktail
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Enicurus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyMuscicapidae Fleming, 1822
- genusEnicurus Temminck, 1822
- speciesEnicurus schistaceus (Hodgson, 1836)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Enicurus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Chestnut-naped ForktailEnicurus ruficapillus Temminck, 1832 | MuscicapidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-backed ForktailEnicurus immaculatus (Hodgson, 1836) | MuscicapidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-crowned ForktailEnicurus leschenaulti (Vieillot, 1818) | MuscicapidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Spotted ForktailEnicurus maculatus Vigors, 1831 | MuscicapidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Little ForktailEnicurus scouleri Vigors, 1832 | MuscicapidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sunda ForktailEnicurus velatus Temminck, 1822 | MuscicapidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=559914 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:39V4Y. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.