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PLATE 103: FLYCATCHERS I
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata PM
L: 14. Brownish-grey, long-winged flycatcher with streaked forehead, crown and breast (though
may not be obvious), variable pale edges to greater coverts and tertials (depending on subspecies
and wear), and blackish bill and legs. Faint whitish eye-ring. Sexes similar. Eastern subspecies
neumanni is distinctly paler and greyer above than nominate striata or inexpectata. Makes short
aerobatic flights (may hover) from exposed branch to catch prey, often returning to same perch.
Perches upright, often flicking wings. Voice Call a sharp tzeet; alarm isst-tek. Habitat Gardens,
parks, woodland. Note Passage hatched.Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica V
L: 12.5. A small, rather featureless, compact flycatcher, like a poorly marked, diminutive Spotted
Flycatcher. Upperparts unstreaked grey-brown, underparts off-white with grey wash across
breast; white eye-ring and white lores are fairly obvious features. Bill strong and broad with pale
base to lower mandible. In first-winter, secondaries and tertials are edged pale, and greater coverts
are tipped pale. Behaviour as Spotted Flycatcher. Voice Piercing tzi occasionally given by migrants.
Habitat Open woodland, trees. Note Vagrant Oman.Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva pm, wv
L: 12. Small flycatcher with conspicuous white patches at sides of tail-base, whitish eye-ring,
and straw or yellowish base to bill (when seen well); adult male has reddish-orange throat and
sometimes upper breast and lead-grey sides of head and neck; female and second-year male have
buffish-white throat. Often cocks tail. See similar Taiga Flycatcher below. Voice Call a dry, rolling
terrrr; also a thin tsri, a tek or, in alarm, tee-lu. Habitat On passage/winter anywhere with trees or
scrub. Note Passage hatched; winters in SE Arabia.Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla V
L: 12. Very similar to Red-breasted Flycatcher; differs in having bill all dark or barely paler on base
of lower mandible (straw- or yellowish-based in Red-breasted), coal-black uppertail-coverts and
different call. Female, as with winter male and juvenile, colder less buff below than Red-breasted,
again distinguished by dark bill and rump, and call. Although not diagnostic, first-winter Taiga
also typically shows broad, cold white fringes on the outer webs of the tertials, broadening and
expanding to a round blob at the shaft (as first-winter European Pied Flycatcher), whereas in Red-
breasted both webs have warmer yellowish-buff fringes, with a thorn shape at the shaft. Voice Call
is an insect-like buzz rather than dry roll of Red-breasted. Habitat Wooded areas. Note Vagrant
Oman, UAE.European Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca V
L: 13. Male black-and-white with black hindneck, small white forehead-spot (often divided in
centre) and narrow white streak at base of primaries (sometimes absent). Some males (rare
variant) are grey-brown above but still with white spot on forehead. First-winter has dark tertials,
white-bordered on outer webs, with rounded blob at end and only small white streak at base of
primaries. For separation from Semicollared Flycatcher, see under species. Often flicks wings.
Voice Calls on passage tuk, and a short metallic twink, different from call of Semicollared. Habitat
Trees and woods. Note Passage hatched; vagrant Oman, UAE.Semicollared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata V
L: 13. Resembles European Pied Flycatcher; also flicks wings. Male told by white half-collar onto
sides of neck, larger white spot at base of primaries (absent, or just a narrow streak in European
Pied), more white at sides of tail and white-tipped median coverts (rarely so in European Pied);
extent of white in rest of wing and on forehead is greater than in European Pied. Female greyer
above than European Pied; often (but not always) more white at primary bases and on tips of
median coverts (as well as greater coverts); however, this second wing-bar on median coverts is
not reliable for first-autumn birds. Voice Call single dry thuk (close to Red-breasted Flycatcher); also
hard tack, alarm call eeet. Habitat Woods, parks, large gardens. Note Passage hatched.