Red-breasted Flycatcher

Ficedula parvaOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

Codes: Common Name: Non AOU Scientific Name: Non AOU ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178675

Breeding Location:

Forest

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Casual to accidental

Egg Color:

Pink yellow or green with red brown markings

Number of Eggs:

5 - 6

Incubation Days:

12 - 15

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Moss, sticks, lichen., Lined with hair and fine plant materials.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Red-breasted Flycatcher: One of the smallest flycatchers with gray-brown upperparts, buff breast and white belly. Throat and upper breast show a red-orange patch, which has a creamy color in female birds and juveniles. Tail and uppertail coverts are black. Face and sides of breast are dark gray. Sides of belly and undertail coverts are white. The bill is black and has the broad but pointed shape typical of aerial insectivores. Both sexes have a white eye ring.

Range and Habitat

Red-breasted Flycatcher: In North America this bird can be seen in the Western Aleutian Islands and on Alaska's St. Lawrence Island. This bird is widespread, but generally rather scarce, in eastern Europe as far north as parts of Finland and Sweden. In winter it migrates to south Asia. It frequents mature conifer and mixed coniferous/deciduous forests.

Breeding and Nesting

Red-breasted Flycatcher: Five to six pink yellow or green eggs with red brown markings are laid in a natural hollow of tree where nest is built from moss, sticks, and lichen and lined with hair and finer plant material. Nest is built by the female. Incubation ranges from 12 to 13 days and is carried out by the female. Young are fed by both parents. These birds have one brood per year.

Foraging and Feeding

Red-breasted Flycatcher: This bird feeds primarily on insects. It perches low in trees to spot prey and then catches it in flight. Returns to the same or nearby perch to eat its prey. This species also hunts caterpillars amongst the oak foliage, and will take berries.

Vocalization

Red-breasted Flycatcher: A bold warbling "trrrrrt", a whistling "hu-lee, hu-lee", and a dry grating "zee-it."

Similar Species

Red-breasted Flycatcher: Male Mugimaki Flycatcher is similar to Red-breasted Flycatcher but has completely black upperparts, white wing bar, and a white patch behind the eye. It's red-orange breast patch extends to the upper belly. Female Mugimaki Flycatcher has pale orange wash on throat but also shows orange wash on throat and flanks. Red-breasted Flycatchers are easily distinguished from other Fidecula flycatchers on size and the wheatear-like tail pattern, with an inverted dark T against the white tail sides.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Red-breasted Flycatcher: Gray-brown flycatcher, gray-brown buff breast, white belly. Throat and upper breast show a red-orange patch. Tail and uppertail coverts are black. Face and sides of breast are dark gray, white eye-ring. Sides of belly and undertail coverts are white. Black bill, legs, feet.

● Song: "hu-lee, hu-lee", "trrrrrrt", "zee-it"

● Foraging & Feeding: Red-breasted Flycatcher: This bird feeds primarily on insects. It perches low in trees to spot prey and then catches it in flight. Returns to the same or nearby perch to eat its prey. This species also hunts caterpillars amongst the oak foliage, and will take berries.

● Breeding & nesting: Red-breasted Flycatcher: Five to six pink yellow or green eggs with red brown markings are laid in a natural hollow of tree where nest is built from moss, sticks, and lichen and lined with hair and finer plant material. Nest is built by the female. Incubation ranges from 12 to 13 days and is carried out by the female. Young are fed by both parents. These birds have one brood per year.

● Similar species: Red-breasted Flycatcher: Male Mugimaki Flycatcher is similar to Red-breasted Flycatcher but has completely black upperparts, white wing bar, and a white patch behind the eye. It's red-orange breast patch extends to the upper belly. Female Mugimaki Flycatcher has pale orange wash on throat but also shows orange wash on throat and flanks. Red-breasted Flycatchers are easily distinguished from other Fidecula flycatchers on size and the wheatear-like tail pattern, with an inverted dark T against the white tail sides.

Flight Pattern

Weak fluttering direct flight with somewhat shallow wing beats., Leaves perch to snatch insects in air and returns.

Red-breasted Flycatcher Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Red-breasted Flycatcher: In North America this bird can be seen in the Western Aleutian Islands and on Alaska's St. Lawrence Island. This bird is widespread, but generally rather scarce, in eastern Europe as far north as parts of Finland and Sweden. In winter it migrates to south Asia. It frequents mature conifer and mixed coniferous/deciduous forests.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationCasual to accidental

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.4 Ounces

Undertail coverts

Small feathers that cover the areas where the retrices (tail feathers) attach to the rump.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Eye ring

The circle around the eye formed of feathers that are a different color from the rest of the face.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America