Pied Flycatcher Facts - Information About Pied Flycatcher

Pied Flycatcher - Ficedula Hypoleuca

The Pied Flycatcher is a summer migrant to the UK.
As the name suggests, it feeds on flies that are caught by making a quick dash from an obvious perch. There are around 40, 000 pairs in the UK each summer. The Pied Flycatcher is a small unmistakable bird that often sits with drooped wings. It spends its winter in Africa.

Identification:

Adult

• Adult males and females share the same plumage pattern but are different colours.


• Male Pied Flycatchers are small and chunky,13cm in length and are black and white all over, they are quite unmistakable.


• The upperparts are black and white, tail is black with white base to outer tail feathers, rump is a slightly paler, back is jet black, wings are black with white wing patch (tertials)


• The nape and head is black except for small white patch above the black bill.


• Chin and throat white, extending to form a half collar.


• The entire underparts are white, ie; chin, throat, breast, belly and undertail coverts.


• Legs, bill and eye black.


• Females are brown versions of the male although tail is dark, no obvious white patch over the bill and the collar is less distinct.

Juvenile

• Juveniles appear from June onwards as they are a late migrant; they are a similar to adult females.


• Young birds of either sex look like females, i.e. brown above, white below with darker tail and often a buffish breast.


• Bill, legs and eye black.

Status and Distribution

The Pied Flycatcher is a breeding summer migrant, it arrives in May and departs September. In the UK we have around 40,000 pairs. The Pied Flycatcher occurs in all counties throughout the UK, mainly with a westerly bias. It does not breed in Ireland.

Habitat/Food

Like Spotted Flycatchers, Pied Flycatchers occur in many habitat types throughout the UK as long as there are deciduous trees; they prefer open areas in which to catch flies.

Woodlands, parks, gardens, farmland, hedgerows, indeed any open country habitat with trees can be attractive to flycatchers.

Song/Call

Several call notes; main call is a single ‘chet’, alarm is a repeated sharp metallic ‘tic’.
Song is a loud series of repeated notes, ‘peechee peechee peechee’ followed by a combination of liquid notes.