The Vanuatu streaked fantail (Rhipidura spilodera) is a species of bird in the family Rhipiduridae which is endemic to the Melanesian island of Vanuatu. It was formerly considered to be subspecies of the streaked fantail (now the New Caledonian streaked fantail). Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Vanuatu streaked fantail | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Rhipiduridae |
Genus: | Rhipidura |
Species: | R. spilodera
|
Binomial name | |
Rhipidura spilodera Gray, GR, 1870
|
The Vanuatu streaked fantail was formally described in 1870 by the English zoologist George Gray from a specimen that had been obtained from the island of Vanuatu by the collector Julius Brenchley. Gray coined the binomial name Rhipidura spilodera.[2][3] The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek spilos meaning "spot" with dera meaning "neck".[4] This species was formerly treated as a subspecies of the streaked fantail (now the New Caledonian streaked fantail).[5]