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19

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher

(Microeca flavigaster)
Alternate name(s): "Lemon-breasted Flycatcher", "Brown-tailed Flycatcher",
"Kimberley Flycatcher", "Lemon-bellied Fly-robin"

Size: 12.5-14 cm
Weight: 10-14 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Lemon-bellied Flycatcher at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "flavigaster"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an adult Lemon-bellied Flycatcher
[East Point, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Frontal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher; click on photo to see a slightly different shot (photos courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow's Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, January 2018]

Frontal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher issuing its call (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Frontal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coomalie Creek, 90 km south of Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Frontal view of two Lemon-bellied Flycatchers (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Holmes Jungle Nature Park, Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher; note how reflections of light off the underside of foliage around the bird can make it look more yellow-greenish (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Holmes Jungle Nature Park, Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, May 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coomalie Creek, 90 km south of Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Lateral view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher issuing its call (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Charles Darwin NP, Darwin, NT, January 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher
[East Point, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coomalie Creek, 90 km south of Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Dorsal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher
[East Point, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Dorsal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher; here the back looks olive
[East Point, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Dorsal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher; here the back looks olive-grey (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Robin Falls, Adelaide River, NT, June 2019]

Dorsal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher; here the back looks olive-green (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Dorsal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher; here the back looks olive-green - when the yellowish underparts are not visible, the species can be hard to identify (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2019]

Dorsal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher; here the back looks olive-green - when the yellowish underparts are not visible, the species can be hard to identify (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2019]

PAIR

Near-dorsal/dorsal view of a pair of Lemon-bellied Flycatchers (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, January 2020]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2014]

Frontal view of a juvenile Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2014]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2014]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, July 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Marlow Lagoon, Palmerston, NT, December 2020]

Race "flavissima"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an adult Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lakefield NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Frontal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lakefield NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Normanton, QLD, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lakefield NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Lateral view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Normanton, QLD, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lakefield NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, August 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Iron Range NP, Cape York peninsula, QLD, December 2018]

Race "laetissima"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Emu Creek, Irvinebank, QLD, November 2019]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mission Beach, QLD, September 2020]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Mar Eggs: 1 Incubation period: ? Fledging age: ?

Together with the Yellow-legged Flychatcher, Lemon-bellied Flycatchers have the smallest nests of any Australian bird species, consisting of just a shallow rim of bark strips on top of a dead branch. They can have two broods per season.

Nest building: ? Incubation: Female & male Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket Material: Bark strips, grass stems, webs Height above ground: 1.5 - 10 m

Fledgling Lemon-bellied Flycatcher begging to be fed, moments after first leaving its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Ludmilla Creek, Darwin, NT, April 2021]

Fledgling Lemon-bellied Flycatcher being fed, moments after first leaving its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Ludmilla Creek, Darwin, NT, April 2021]

Fledgling Lemon-bellied Flycatcher begging to be fed (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Ludmilla Creek, Darwin, NT, April 2021]

Frontal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher with chick in its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Ludmilla Creek, Darwin, NT, April 2021]

Frontal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher with chick in its nest, now issuing its call (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Ludmilla Creek, Darwin, NT, April 2021]

Frontal view of a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher chick in its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Ludmilla Creek, Darwin, NT, April 2021]

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher at its nest on the end of a dead branch (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanic Garden, Darwin, NT, March 2018]

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher at its nest on the end of a dead branch (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanic Garden, Darwin, NT, March 2018]

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher on its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanic Garden, Darwin, NT, March 2018]

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher on its nest (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, November 2018]

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher on its nest (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, November 2018]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 19 x 14 mm Colour: Pale-blue, with light-brown speckles Shape: Long tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial Mobility: Sedentary Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher marking its territory from the top of a tree crown
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher marking its territory from the top of a dead tree; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 20 January 2018 (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]

Food, Diet

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher with a flying insect it has just caught (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Holmes Jungle Nature Park, Darwin, NT, February 2018]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

lemflyc_20140820.m4a flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
Contact call © MD
lemflyc_20140819_2.mp3 flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
Contact call © MD
lemflyc_20140819_9.m4a flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
Contact call © MD
lemflyc_pb_20180120.m4a flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
Contact calls © PB
lemflyc_pb_20180120_2.m4a flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
Contact calls © PB
lemflyc_20140819_10.mp3 flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
(Abbreviated) contact call(?) © MD
lemflyc_20140819_7.m4a flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
Q&A (nearby first) © MD
lemflyc_20140819_6.mp3 flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
Q&A (distant first) © MD
lemflyc_20140819_8.mp3 flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
Q&A (distant first) © MD
lemflyc_pb_20180121.m4a flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
Extended contact call? © PB
lemflyc_pb_20230303.mp3 flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
Alarm calls © PB
lemflyc_20140819_3.m4a flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
Various © MD
lemflyc_pb_20210611.m4a flavigaster
(Darwin, NT)
? © PB

More Lemon-bellied Flycatcher sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.