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Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca

 
 

InEuropean Pied Flycatcher   CaMastegatatxes   DaBroget Fluesnapper   DeTrauerschnäpper   EsPapamoscas cerrojillo   Fikirjosieppo   FrGobemouche noir   ItBalia nera   NlBonte Vliegenvanger   NoSvarthvit fluesnapper   PtPapa-moscas-preto   SvSvartvit flugsnappare   USEuropean Pied Flycatcher   RuМухоловка-пеструшка

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male
male

male
male
European distribution
European distribution
adult males perched
adult males perched

Identification

The breeding male Pied Flycatcher is easily identified with his bright, white underparts, black and white wings and little white spot on his forehead. In all other plumages they are duller, not so clean below and with brown not black upperparts. They can easily be told from Spotted Flycatchers by the white markings which go down as well as across the wing. Their habit of letting the wings droop below the level of the tail is typical of the Flycatchers. In female, or non-breeding plumages, they can be hard to distinguish from the other Ficedula Flycatchers but notice that the white at the base of the primaries and the pale second wing bar (on the median coverts) are either very small or lacking completely.

Habitat

Breeds in mature broad-leaved woodlands and parkland.

Behaviour

In Pied Flycatchers, the song seems to be almost entirely performed as a means of attracting a mate. Once males are paired up they will effectively cease singing, making them notoriously difficult to find except in early summer. Pied Flycatchers seem to advertise their nest sites in much the same way as Redstarts, perching either with the head sticking out of the hole, displaying the white patch on the forehead, or on the outside of the hole with the tail spread to show the white feathers in the tail.

Migration

A night-time migrant that travels long distances to winter in the woodland habitats north of the Gulf of Guinea. Major stop-over locations include northern Spain and Italy.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

show section BirdGuides rarity status: Local

hide section Most recent UK and Irish reports of Pied Flycatcher

  10:25 27/07/10 Pied Flycatcher Cumbria South Walney NR 26/07/10 
  22:56 26/07/10 Pied Flycatcher Kent Dungeness BO   
  22:20 26/07/10 Pied Flycatcher W Sussex Pagham/Pagham Lagoon   
  17:02 07/06/10 Pied Flycatcher Dumf & Gall Courance   
  22:35 06/06/10 Pied Flycatcher E Sussex Ashdown Forest   
  09:08 05/06/10 Pied Flycatcher Shetland Skaw, Whalsay 04/06/10 
  17:04 22/05/10 Pied Flycatcher Shetland Brow Marsh, Mainland 21/05/10 
  20:08 16/05/10 Pied Flycatcher Ceredigion Aberaeron 14:30 
  17:37 15/05/10 Pied Flycatcher Suffolk Corton 15:30 
  15:57 15/05/10 Pied Flycatcher Cumbria Appleby-in-Westmorland   

hide section Most recent photos of Pied Flycatcher (10)

show section European breeding populations (29)

show section Products featuring Pied Flycatcher (13)

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BTO: Eastern visitors arrive <i>en masse</i> BTO: Eastern visitors arrive en masse BTO: Eastern visitors arrive en masseSaturday 20th September 2008
After the recent influx of Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers - where are they now?  read on read on

BirdGuides webzine BirdGuides webzine

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