Flycatchers and chats · Perching birds
European Pied Flycatcher
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Ficedula hypoleuca
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Voice
Song
Grégoire Chauvot
Song
Grégoire Chauvot
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
How to recognize it
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Breeding male: sharp black-and-white contrast
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Small white forehead patch, large white wing patch, white tail sides
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Female and young: dull brown above, pale below
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Short clear “pii”; song a fast chattering trill
About the species
The European Pied Flycatcher makes a neat, high-contrast impression, especially the male in black and white. Females and young birds are softer and browner, with a quieter look.
It feels lively and restless, darting for insects in the air and also picking them from leaves, branches, and the ground. Its voice is bright and musical, and in spring the male may still stand guard near the nest while sometimes feeding the female.
It likes open woods, old gardens, and tree-lined places with holes for nesting, and it will also use nest boxes. Its diet is mostly insects and spiders, with fruit and berries added in autumn, and it leaves for Africa in winter.
Where to find
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In old parks and gardens with hollow oaks or birches, the male gives away its sharp little song from the canopy.
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Along woodland edges and thin groves — perching at the tree line, then darting out after insects in the air.
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Near trunks with natural holes and under the roofs of old wooden buildings, where it slips in and out of nest cavities or nest boxes.
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On tree-lined avenues, especially where big branches stay open underneath, watch for a quick sally from a low perch and a return to the same spot.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Ficedula hypoleuca Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — European pied flycatcher Encyclopedia article