The pygostyle is an amazing evolutionary adaptation. The fusion of several vertebrae allows for some amazing tail fans, allowing birds to perform incredible displays in mating displays. One group that exemplifies this are fantails, named for their large tail feathers, allowing the males to display elegantly to females. One such example is the Grey fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa), a small insectivore from Australia, along with the Solomon islands, New Caledonia and Vanuatu. There is only one model (as of this review) of this species, produced in Yowies’ second series. Let’s take a look!
This model shows the fantail with it’s tail in full flourish, making it great to display two together, as if it’s two males sizing each other up. It does have some articulation, mainly in the head and legs, so posing for this kind of face off is really easy.
The lighter colourings do seem to suggest this may be a juvenile, as adults tend to be darker. It also seems a little short on some of the yellows and strips the real animal has, but is otherwise spot on. Like most Yowies, it’s quite small, measuring 2.4″ long and 1.5″ high, though this may make it too big to interact with most lines.
I do think this is a sweet little model, and definitely worth considering, especially as a pair. As the only example of the species, you could certainly do far worse. It is long discontinued, so eBay is your best bet. I definitely recommend it though.
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