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Semicollared Flycatcher
(Ficedula hypoleuca)
German name(s): "Halbringschnäpper"
Size: 12-13.5 cm; wing span 23-24 cm
Weight: 8-17 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Semicollared Flycatchers are small insectivore birds. Their
plumage is
dimorphic, i.e.
males and
females
are different.
Male
Semicollared Flycatchers are all black and white.
The entire front, from the chin and the sides of the neck below
the ear coverts downwards, is white.
The head (except for two white patches on the frons) and the
back are black. Only the rump is a bit greyish. The mantle,
upperwing coverts and flight feathers are also black.
The characteristic features of all
males in breeding plumage
are two small white spots above the base of the bill.
Female
Semicollared Flycatchers show a similar morphology as
males.
However, their
plumage
has less contrast - where the
males
are black, they are dark-grey and where the
males
are white they are off-white to light-grey,
especially on the chest. In addition, they lack the white spots
above the bill.
What gives them their name is an incomplete white collar, with
just a thin black line down the nape of the neck, that
sets off the head from the rest of the body.
Males in eclipse
are very similar to
females,
but usually with darker wing feathers and uppertail.
The characteristic feature of both sexes is a long thin white mark on
the primary coverts, under the prominent white wing bar.
Females
also have a second, faint wing bar.
The irises of both sexes are black. The short, straight bill is
dark-grey. Legs and feet are also dark-grey.
Juveniles
closely resemble
females.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Collared Flycatchers
have a complete white neckband, while
Semi-collared Flycatchers have a narrow black gap at the nape
of the neck and
Pied Flycatchers
have a wide black gap at the nape of the neck.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See
Semicollared Flycatcher at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
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 Semicollared Flycatcher is available
HERE
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Semicollared Flycatchers are a migratory species.
Their breeding range spans parts of south-eastern Europe,
a few sites in Asia Minor, the slopes of the Caucasus and
parts of northern Iraq and northern and central Iran.
They spend the northern winters in eastern sub-Saharan Africa,
from Djibuti to Rwanda and Kenya.
On their migration they can be found in between, in particular
the near-coastal Middle East, the Sinai peninsula, the
river Nile valley and near-coastal Arabia.
In Europe Semicollared Flycatchers are found as breeding migrants
from the South. Their nominal European breeding range spans only
northern Greece and parts of southern Bulgaria.
Although thus usually only found in south-eastern Europe during the
breeding season, there are a small number of reports from Sicily
and from southern/eastern France.
Semicollared Flycatchers have a preference for breeding in deciduous
or mixed woods, often at low to mid-level altitudes in mountain ranges,
usually along creeks or rivers.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
G. Pinelas reports finding Semicollared Flycatchers on three
separate occasions in Reboleira, Lisbon, Portugal, in September
2016.
All sighting and photographic information presented on this
page has kindly been contributed by G. Pinelas.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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FEMALE |
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Near-frontal view of a female Semicollared Flycatcher
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Reboleira, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2016]
Near-lateral view of a female Semicollared Flycatcher
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Reboleira, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2016]
Near-lateral view of a female Semicollared Flycatcher
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Reboleira, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2016]
Near-lateral view of a female Semicollared Flycatcher; note
the (faint) second wing bar, the white vertical wing bar
almost reaching the edge of the wing and the all-white
edge of the outer tail feather
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Reboleira, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2016]
Lateral view of a female Semicollared Flycatcher
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Reboleira, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2016]
Near-dorsal view of a female Semicollared Flycatcher; note
the (faint) second wing bar, the white vertical wing bar
almost reaching the edge of the wing and the all-white
edge of the outer tail feather
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Reboleira, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2016]
Near-dorsal view of a female Semicollared Flycatcher; note
the (faint) second wing bar, the white vertical wing bar
almost reaching the edge of the wing and the all-white
edge of the outer tail feather
(photo courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Reboleira, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2016]
Since the birds shown here are far out of range, here a detailed
description of how the species was distinguished from the similar
Pied Flycatcher,
which is a native of Portugal.
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The bird on the left has a second wing bar, as found in females
of the Semicollared Flycatcher and the
Collared Flycatcher,
but NOT in the
Pied Flycatcher.
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The female on the left shows a long, thin vertical wing bar that
almost reaches the edge of the wing. This vertical bar is shorter
in females of the Pied
Flycatcher (right) and broader in the
Collared Flycatcher.
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The female on the left has white edges along the entire length of
the outer tail feathers. Neither
Collared Flycatcher
nor Pied Flycatcher
show the same.
Direct comparison between a female Semi-collared Flycatcher, left,
and a female
Pied Flycatcher,
right
(photos courtesy of G. Pinelas)
[Reboleira, Lisbon, Portugal, September 2016]
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.