1 / 4
Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) — photo 1 of 4
© Bene Riobó CC BY-SA 4.0

Flycatchers and chats · Perching birds

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

Voice

Call

Sonothèque ADVL

0:16

Song

Jochem Verweij

2:00

Call

Thomas SIGNEAU

0:07

How to recognize it

  • 14.5 cm, sparrow-sized

  • Slim, long wings and tail

  • Dull grey-brown above, pale below; breast faintly streaked

  • Perches upright, often flicking wings and tail; thin soft "tssseep"

About the species

The Spotted Flycatcher is unshowy and slim, a familiar presence in parks, gardens, and open woodland. You usually notice it less by looks than by its habit of sitting out in the open and making quick sallies after flying insects.

It waits on a perch, often flicking its wings and tail, then shoots out, catches prey on the wing, and drops back to the same lookout. Its voice is soft, with sharp little calls.

It favors places with scattered trees and open space between them. It feeds on flying insects, breeds across much of Europe and western Asia, and leaves for Africa and southwestern Asia in winter.

Where to find

  • Spotted Flycatcher turns up on lone trees in mature city parks — look for an upright perch on an open branch, then a quick dart after insects and a return to the same spot.

  • Along the edge of a tree-lined avenue or a sparse grove, it often uses a fence post, wire, or lamp top as a hunting perch.

  • In old gardens and courtyard blocks with walls and small recesses, listen for its thin, drawn-out call from the treetop above.

  • Near pond edges and canal banks, watch for quick sallies from waterside branches, with the tail flicking as it waits for the next insect.

You might also see

Sources