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Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) Note: "Spotted" Flycatcher is a misnomer (striata = "Striated")! German name(s): "Grauer Fliegenschnäpper", "Grauschnäpper" Size: 13.5-15 cm; wing span 23-23.5 cm Body mass: 10-21 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.12-0.15

Europe: Family Group 21 Family Group 21 Table European Pied Flycatcher Collared Flycatcher Semicollared Flycatcher Spotted Flycatcher Red-breasted Flycatcher Lesser Whitethroat Common Whitethroat Western Orphean Warbler Western Subalpine Warbler Dartford Warbler Sardinian Warbler Barred Warbler Eurasian Blackcap Garden Warbler Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Spotted Flycatchers are small insectivore birds. Their plumage is cryptic. They are basically grey to grey-brown all over, with some striation on the crown and down the throat and chest. The wing coverts have light-grey edge lining, while the flight feathers and the tail are dark-grey. The back is mid-grey, while the belly, vent and undertail coverts are light-grey. Only the supercilium has a noticeable brownish tinge. The irises are dark. The straight bill is dark-grey; the legs and feet are also dark-grey. Juvenile Spotted Flycatchers have a lighter-grey front than adults.

Taxonomy, classification See Spotted Flycatcher at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information Based on recent studies, the International Ornithologists' Union now considers the two insular races "tyrrhenica" and "balearica" to be sufficiently different from all others to merit full species status as the newly created "Mediterranean Flycatcher" (Muscicapa tyrrhenica), while other taxonomic authorities still list them as races of the Spotted Flycatcher.

Range, habitat, finding this species 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 Spotted Flycatcher is available HERE . Spotted Flycatchers are a migratory species with in total about 7 races. Their breeding range extends from western Europe, including the British Isles, and near-coastal north-western Africa, to central and southern central Asia in the East. On migration they are found in parts of North Africa, all of Asia Minor, parts of the Middle East and the Arabian peninsula. They spend the northern winters in parts of Africa and south-west Asia. Spotted Flycatchers are found as breeding migrants in all of Europe, including the British Isles and also all Mediterranean islands, but not in the northernmost parts of Scandinavia. In northern Portugal they appear only during their migration. 5 races can be found in various parts of Europe. Nominate race "striata" has the most wide-ranging distribution (basically all of continental Europe), because the four other races are found only on various Mediterranean islands and on the Crimean peninsula, respectively. Spotted Flycatchers have a preference for habitats with some vegetation (shrubs, trees) with suitable perches, from which they hawk for insects into open areas.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "striata" J. Pires reports finding Spotted Flycatchers, nominate race "striata", regularly from late summer to autumn in various locations in central Portugal. A Spotted Flycatcher, race "striata", was spotted by D. Wilczynska near the River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, in August 2016. M. Eaton reports finding Spotted Flycatchers, race "striata", near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, in June 2018. G. Normand found a Spotted Flycatcher, race "striata", in Normandy, France, in June 2019. G. Normand also found Spotted Flycatchers, race "striata", in various locations in Albania and Kosovo in August 2021. H. Dahlem-Senger reports finding a Spotted Flycatcher, race "striata", at Harlesiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, in June 2021. H. Dahlem-Senger also spotted a Spotted Flycatcher, race "striata", between Cala Mesquida and Cala Agulla, Mallorca, Spain, in May 2023. A. Sarok spotted Spotted Flycatchers, race "striata", in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. Race "tyrrhenica" A family of Spotted Flycatchers, race "tyrrhenica", was spotted by D. Wilczynska near Cala Gonone, eastern Sardinia, Italy, in June 2016. Race "sarudnyi" Spotted Flycatchers, race "sarudnyi"(?), have previously been observed by us in Oman.

Photos

Race "striata"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Spotted Flycatcher looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Frontal view of a Spotted Flycatcher looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, September 2018]

Frontal view of a Spotted Flycatcher looking sideways (photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Harlesiel, Ostfriesland, Germany, June 2021]

Frontal view of a Spotted Flycatcher looking sideways (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Normandy, France, June 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Coruche, Santarem, Portugal, September 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Maranhao Dam, Avis, Evora, Portugal, September 2022]

Near-lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, October 2018]

Lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2018]

Lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Tirana, Albania, August 2021]

Lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, September 2022]

Lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, June 2018]

Lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Tirana, Albania, August 2021]

Lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Oslo airport, Oslo, Norway, June 2018]

Lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

Lateral/ventral view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

Near-dorsal view of a Spotted Flycatcher looking back at the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Maranhao Dam, Avis, Evora, Portugal, September 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, September 2022]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Spotted Flycatcher looking for prey (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

Dorsal view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2018]

Dorsal view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

Direct comparison of a Spotted Flycatcher with a male House Sparrow (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malinowo, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

Near-lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher launching itself into the air (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sorraia River, Santa Justa, Coruche, Portugal, September 2022]

Lateral/ventral view of a Spotted Flycatcher in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Sagres, Algarve, Portugal, October 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal/ventral view of a juvenile Spotted Flycatcher; note the yellow gape (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mequinenza, Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, September 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile Spotted Flycatcher looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral/ventral view of a juvenile Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2014]

Race "tyrrhenica"

Note that based on DNA studies it has been proposed to separate the two insular races "tyrrhenica" and "balearica" into a new species, the "Mediterranean Flycatcher" (Muscicapa tyrrhenica).

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Cala Gonone, eastern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Near-lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Cala Gonone, eastern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Cala Gonone, eastern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Lateral view of a Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Cala Gonone, eastern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Adult Spotted Flycatcher, right, with a dependent juvenile, left (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Cala Gonone, eastern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Adult Spotted Flycatcher, top, with two dependent juveniles, below (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Cala Gonone, eastern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Cala Gonone, eastern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Cala Gonone, eastern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Spotted Flycatcher (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Cala Gonone, eastern Sardinia, Italy, June 2016]

Race "sarudnyi"

Photos of Spotted Flycatchers, race "sarudnyi"(?), have previously been obtained by us in Oman.

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary

Food, Diet

As their name suggests, Spotted Flycatchers are insect hunters. Most flycatchers hunt for insects from low to mid-level perches.

Frontal view of a Spotted Flycatcher with its prey, a flying insect (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a Spotted Flycatcher with its prey, a flying insect (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[River Bug, near Brok, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

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.

spotfly_dw_20160813.m4a	(Poland)	Contact calls?	© DW
spotfly_jp_20220814.m4a	(Portugal)	Contact calls?	© JP

More Spotted 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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