A shy bird, the white-crowned forktail stays near water, and forages on the edges of rivers and streams for invertebrates.

Its breeding season is between March and September, and possibly extends till October.

The white-crowned forktail is found in China, Southeast Asia and also in northeastern parts of the Indian subcontinent.

The white-crowned forktail was formally described in 1818 by French ornithologist Louis Vieillot based on a specimen that had been collected in Java.

[2] The specific epithet was chosen to honour the French naturalist and collector Jean-Baptiste Leschenault de La Tour.

[6] It is closely related to the Bornean forktail (Enicurus borneensis) which replaces it in mountain areas of Borneo.

The crown and forehead have a prominent white patch, sometimes visible as a slight crest, from which the bird gets its name.

[6] It also has three narrower white bands created by the tips of shorter tail feathers.

The wings of this species are largely black with a prominent white band across the greater coverts.

On the island of Borneo the white-crowned forktail is sometimes found in drier areas, including along tracks and ridges in the forest, and in heathland.

[8] The white-crowned forktail has a wide geographic distribution across south and south-east Asia, including in parts of India, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia .

[6] The white-crowned forktail breeds between the months of March and September, and possibly till October.

[8] The nest is constructed of moss, plants, leaves, and wood fibre, and is in the shape of a large cup.

It is usually placed in a hole in a bank or cliff, or among tree roots, and has been observed to have been constructed behind waterfalls,[8] with the birds flying through the water to reach their nest.

[6] The species usually lays between two and five eggs, which are creamy, pinkish, or greyish white, and covered in speckles of red-brown, salmon, and lilac.

Birds in southern China have been observed to have two broods in a year, a pattern which may hold true elsewhere.