Spotted Flycatcher on a typical insect spotting perch during the summer breeding season. SCO 9107
Spotted flycatchers hunt from conspicuous perches, making sallies after passing flying insects, and often returning to the same perch. Their upright posture is characteristic. Spotted flycatchers exhibit an atypical molt strategy, that is they molt their primaries and some of their secondaries in the reverse order from what is seen in most passerines. The flycatcher's call is a thin, drawn out soft and high pitched 'tssssseeeeeppppp', slightly descending in pitch. They are birds of deciduous woodlands, parks and gardens, with a preference for open areas amongst trees. They build an open nest in a suitable recess, often against a wall, and will readily adapt to an open-fronted nest box. 4-6 eggs are laid. Interestingly, most European birds cannot discriminate between their own eggs and those of other species. The exception to this are the hosts of the common cuckoo, which have had to evolve this skill as a protection against that nest parasite. The spotted flycatcher shows excellent egg recognition, and it is likely that it was once a host of the cuckoo, but became so good at recognising the intruder's eggs that it ceased to be victimised. A contrast to this is the dunnock, which appears to be a recent cuckoo host, since it does not show any egg discrimination. Churchyards, cemeteries, parks and mature gardens are good places. Spotted flycatchers are often found in woodland with open glades – good for catching insects. During the breeding season spotted flycatchers can be found throughout the UK, although they are scarce in the far north and west and almost absent from Scottish islands. High densities are found from Devon and Kent as far north as Scotland.
Size: 4118px × 5942px
Location: Birch Woodland, Grantown on Spey, Inverness-shire. Highland Region, UK.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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