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Satin Flycatchers are small flycatchers. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are different. Like all Australian flycatchers, they have "whiskers" on both sides of the bill. Male Satin Flycatchers have a glossy bluish-black head, upper front (down to the upper chest) and back, including the wings. The rest of the front (lower chest down to the undertail coverts) is off-white. The undertail is light-grey. Female Satin Flycatchers have a dark-grey head and back. The flight feathers have brown leading edges. The front, from the throat to the upper chest, is orange-rufous. The rest of the front is off-white, like the males'. Females have thin, inconspicuous light-grey eye-rings. Both sexes have eyes with dark-brown irises. They both have a small erectile crest. The legs and feet are grey. Juveniles have highly cryptic plumage. They have a greyish-brown, slightly barred front (throat, chest); the rest of the front is off-white. Apart from off-white eyebrows, the rest of the head is dark greyish-brown. The rest of the back is dark-brown, with some light grey streaking. The flight feathers have rufous-brown leading edges.

Twitcher's tip

Compared with Leaden Flycatchers and Broad-billed Flycatchers, both male and female Satin Flycatchers have the darkest colours and the glossiest plumage.

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org .

The global distribution of the Satin Flycatcher is available HERE .

Satin Flycatchers are found only in Australia and near-coastal New Guinea.

Satin Flycatchers are breeding migrants to Australia from the North. In Australia only one race, "cyanoleuca", is found. During their breeding season they populate the South-East coast and mostly the sea-side slopes of the Great Dividing Range from the south-eastern tip of SA, through VIC, the Bass Strait and Tasmania, all the way through eastern NSW, up to about Brisbane, QLD, and further into the ranges of southern QLD to about Expedition National Park. Occasionally they extend their range further into the Great Dividing Range. On their migration they can be found all the way up the QLD coast and ranges, to the tip of Cape York and beyond.

Satin Flycatchers are often found in dense, wet forest.

Race "cyanoleuca"

Satin Flycatchers, race "cyanoleuca", are not normally found where we live, near Narrabri, NSW. A pair was first spotted by us in November 2006 at Lower Ebor Falls, in Guy Fawkes NP, NSW.

B. Hensen reports spotting Satin Flycatchers, race "cyanoleuca", at Namadgee NP, ACT, in November 2013.

R. Plumtree reports spotting a female Satin Flycatcher, race "cyanoleuca", at Old Coach Road, Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, in December 2014. They were found breeding in the area in November 2015.

A. Campbell reports spotting a Satin Flycatcher, race "cyanoleuca", at Mount McEuen, QLD, in February 2017.

M. Eaton found Satin Flycatchers, race "cyanoleuca", nesting near Wynnum, QLD, in December 2017.