The grey fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa ) is a small insectivorous bird. There is no sexual dimorphism. It is a common fantail found in Australia, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The species is considered by many to be conspecific with the New Zealand fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa ); however, differences in its calls lead some authorities to treat it as a separate species. The studies of grey fantail in 1999 by Richard Schodde and Ian Mason recommended that Tasmanian grey fantail was formally classified as R. albiscapa and New Zealand fantails populations as R. fuliginosa
This species is mid-to-dark grey or grey-brown above, lighter (often yellowish/orange) below, with a white throat, white markings over the eye, and with (depending on the race) either white-edged or entirely white outer tail feathers. It grows to 16 cm (6.3 in) in length, of which half is the tail, which, as the name implies, is often displayed fanned out. This reveals that the outer tail feathers are light and the centre ones are dark. Some races, such as keasti, have a darker plumage.
This species is easily seen while walking in eucalypt forest, rainforest, mangroves, heath, and wooded habitat. During waking hours, they are almost never still. They flit from perch to perch, sometimes on the ground but mostly on the twigs of a tree or any other convenient object, looking out for flying insects. They are able to catch flying insects using intricate acrobatic chases. The birds are not shy, and will often flit within a few metres of people, especially in forested areas and suburban gardens. In doing so, it is able to catch any small flying insects that may have been disturbed by human activities such as walking or digging. The bird's call is an almost metallic cheek, either as a single sound or (more often) repeated as a chattering.
Most bird species typically build one nest, whereas grey fantails commonly build more than one nest before egg-laying, and seven nests have been recorded as the highest number in a breeding season. In a recent study, there is a hypothesis explaining nest abandonment in this species. Abandoned nests could be used for confusing predators. In fact, a large number of abandoned nests exposed on trees are significantly less concealed than nests that eventually received eggs. However, these abandoned nests were incompletely built, probably in response to the attention of predators (such as pied currawongs), because these predators may destroy incomplete nests when looking for eggs. In addition, pied currawongs are larger than grey fantails, which presents a considerable risk for adult grey fantails. Therefore, desertion might be an adaptation of grey fantails, with these nests used for eliminating hazards from cryptic predation. Some of the materials from decoy nests could be used to construct the subsequent breeding nest. The location of the breeding nest varies during the nest-building phase, ensuring a site with sufficient security to prepare for breeding. The parent birds build compact, cup-shaped nests, usually in the forks of trees, made from moss, bark and fibre, and often completed with spider's web. According to the records of the sizes of the nests by Richard and Donaghey, which were observed in three regions of southern Australia, the average size of nests were 5.7 cm (5.1-6.4 cm) external diameter, 4.1 cm (3.8-4.4 cm) internal diameter, and 2.9 cm (2.5-3.2 cm) internal depth.
The grey fantail is territorial and it is a seasonal breeder. They raise several broods per season, usually each of three or four cream eggs, spotted grey and brown. The incubation period is around two weeks, with incubation and feeding duties shared by both parents. During the breeding season, the mass of testes of male grey fantails grows larger than in the non-breeding season. The growth of testes sizes could be subject to sperm competition, similar to other species exhibiting morphological traits. Male birds also have pronounced cloacal protuberances. This change of morphology is associated with polygynandry and the increase in copulation chance. Despite most grey fantails forming season-long monogamous pairs, a small number of male birds seeking extra-pair copulation have been recorded. To seek extra-pair copulation, the male bird invades neighbouring territories and waits at the nest where the female birds were not incubating. The intruding male might coerce a resident female into accepting extra-pair male copulation. Moreover, the aggression of the male bird could act as a deterrent to the female bird, leading to delayed ovulation, allowing the male to re-mate. This increases the likelihood of the male becoming the sole fertiliser of that female's eggs.
