Flycatchers and chats · Perching birds
Collared Flycatcher
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Ficedula albicollis
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Voice
Song
Song
Song
How to recognize it
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About 13 cm long
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Breeding male black above and white below, with a white collar, forehead patch and large wing patch
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Female and non-breeding male brownish-grey, with less black-and-white contrast
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Catches insects in flight
About the species
In spring, the male is black above and white below, with a white collar, a broad white patch on each wing and a large white spot on the forehead. A pale rump flashes when it turns, while its dark tail sets off the white underparts. Females, juveniles and males outside the breeding season are browner and much less sharply marked.
Its song is a slow series of strained whistles, while its call is a drawn-out "eep." It catches insects on the wing and searches oak foliage for caterpillars, shifting between open air and leafy cover.
It breeds in deciduous woods, parks and gardens, especially where old trees offer nesting holes; it also uses nest boxes. Its food includes flying insects, caterpillars, spiders and other small invertebrates, with berries taken less often. After breeding across parts of Europe and western Asia, it migrates to sub-Saharan Africa for winter and returns in spring.
Where to find
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During the breeding season, in deciduous parks with oaks, watch the Collared Flycatcher hunt caterpillars among the leaves.
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In deciduous woods or parks, look down into the leaf litter: there it searches for larvae, spiders and other invertebrates.
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In breeding areas in May–July, watch from a distance as it enters cavities in old trees or nest boxes.
