Page 342 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

FLYCATCHERS
Order Passeriformes Family Muscicapidae Species Ficedula hypoleuca
Pied Flycatcher

one or two spots
bold dark eye
blackish wings on forehead
with bold white black and white plumage
MALE patch (in autumn, like female but
(SUMMER) retains forehead spots)
white wing
patch dull brown and
buffish white body
white
sides
to tail black tail
with white
FEMALE sides
IN FLIGHT white
dull brown underparts
back
white wing
patch
short dark legs
blacker
wings JUVENILE
MALE (SUMMER)
either a garden bird nor as universally distributed as the
NSpotted Flycatcher, the Pied Flycatcher is a forest species,
preferring space under the canopy in which it can feed, flying
out for flies or dropping to the ground. Such places often have FLIGHT: strong, quite bounding; often drops to
Redstarts (see p.298),Wood Warblers (see p.334), and Pied ground, catches flies in air but usually goes on to
Flycatchers as a characteristic trio of small birds in summer. different perch.
All become elusive after nesting, Pied Flycatchers
almost “disappearing” for a time, although they are NEST BOX
A male feeds his chicks in a box
frequent migrants in coastal areas later in autumn. specially provided: numbers are
VOICE Sharp whit or whit-tic, wheet; song brief, simple, increased by nest box schemes in
musical phrase with notes clearly separated, slightly suitable woods.
hesitant, ending with trill, see, see, see sit, see-sit sitip-
seweee.
NESTING Cup of leaves and moss, in tree hole, old
woodpecker hole or, by preference, nest box; 5–9 eggs;
1 brood;April–May.
FEEDING Catches flies in air and picks insects from
foliage and from ground; also eats seeds and berries.
REMARK Subspecies F. h. iberiae (Spain) has pale rump,
bigger forehead spot, bigger wingbar and primary patch.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Breeds in UK and across most
COLLARED FLYCATCHER 2 SEMI-COLLARED SPOTTED FLYCATCHER of mainland Europe. Seen from
similar to 32; paler FLYCATCHER 3similar similar to 2; April to August in broadleaved
rump; see p.447 to 3; paler rump; see p.339
see p.447 thin buff woodland with clear space
white collar beneath canopy, often where
small upper streaks on
more white wingbar wings; no there are Wood Warblers. Migrants
white
on wings often on coasts in autumn.
Seen in the UK
J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 13cm (5in) Wingspan 21–24cm (8 1 ⁄2 –9 1 ⁄2in) Weight 12–15g ( 7 ⁄16 – 9 ⁄16oz)
Social Solitary Lifespan 3–5 years Status Secure
340