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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
Weight: 10-21 g
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Spotted Flycatcher at Wikipedia .

Click here for classification information

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

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 (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Near Malinowo, Masovia, Poland, August 2016]

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

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 J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2014]

Lateral/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 (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]

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]

Adult Spotted Flycatcher, centre, and two juveniles, left and right; note the vermiculation on the front and the spots on the ends of the wing coverts (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 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.

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

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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.