I do that too! You can even hear their little beaks snapping when they eat the bugs lol its so cute

@@cam5533 Sometimes that snap is an aggressive action towards you, i once rescured one and when i picked it up it made a bunch of those snaps (didnt try to bite me at all).

@@NZBigfoot Interesting, I don't think it was aggressive towards me because it only snapped when was chasing bugs.

6 years late, but in case you missed that, fantails (and other small NZ birds like the tomtit) do follow you around not (just) because they are curious and (mostly) unafraid, but because they're after the insects startled by our bipedal shuffling about. :)

@@_tyrannus Pretty much what he said... although alot of NZ birds ARE frightened of humans, just the Fantails and the Kea are the ones that are truly not afraid of humans, fantails simply dont give two shits about the bipeds which shows they are pretty smart, they know we arent a viable threat, or their so cock sure about their flight skills they think they can avoid being caught. I have one that flys into my room and the living room when the doors open and sits on the ceiling fan blades looking for spiders in the corner of the room then flys out when they are done. Funny thing is its the same Fantail that as a young bird couldnt get out the first time they did it, and i had to use a cloth to net it and then pick it up and take it outside it had almost exhausted itself to death trying to figure out the door... now hes a pro at it, and twice the size and pretty fat for a Fantail.

@@NZBigfoot Pretty cute story. I think there's a thing with NZ birds, overall, especially down south in less densely populated areas (euphemism) but not limited to it indeed. Not a week after I had arrived in Auckland, a local bird (not a native) lost itself in my host's house. Pretty unapproachable initially, it tired itself and landed in a corner. I then gently approached and offered my hand as a perch, on which (to my utmost surprise) it agreed! We sat there for a few minutes staring at each other, then I slowly woke up and walked down to the porch. I sat outside and the bird stood perched for a few minutes before parting ways. Pretty neat. Of course none of that compared to the kea obviously, I stayed just three days in Arthur's Pass (didn't manage to spot them anywhere else despite locals' advice, which was concerning), personally met each kea in the local flock and even befriended two (no food exchange involved, just piling up stones and rocks and imitating them) who followed me around for a good part of the stay. One of them that was hanging out late at night even gifted me an old punctured rugby ball that he'd stolen. Other Arthur's Pass birds like the black robin and tomtit were also extremely curious and inquisitive as I hiked around. Truly my favourite place anywhere in terms of birdlife.

i take the dogs down to the river behind my house and one always comes says hello its beautiful and funny

About 30 years ago they were indeed, before $1 and $2 changed to coins.

To be honest.. I dont think ive EVER seen a Fantail poop... your talking about a bird whos body is smaller than the average humans palm, and if you've ever picked one up they are almost weightless... it would take a Fantail years of non stop pooping to even make a noticeable mess on a car, they eat midges and sandflies basically, not much mass in any of those.

@@NZBigfoot - I will admit it was probably sparrows, not fantails, we have since stopped birds nesting in our carport.