The Spotted Flycatcher
The Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata, is found throughout the British isles and is a summer visitor to these shores, arriving in May and departing for southern Africa around September. Although it is a small bird, only reaching up to 15cm in length, which is about the same size as a sparrow, it is quite stocky in build, which makes it appear to be larger.
Specialist predator
As its common name suggests, the Spotted Flycatcher is a specialist in the art of hunting flying insects, perching on a lookout post such as a bare branch, telegraph pole or gable end and darting out to grab its prey when it passes, and then returning to its chosen lookout tower until it espies its next snack. It’s bill, like that of other birds which hunt flying insects such as the Swallow and Swift, is broad at the base and surrounded by bristles which both channel insects into it’s maw and also prevent them from escaping.
Appearance and calls
In appearance the Spotted Flycatcher is a sharply dressed but rather dull looking bird, a light brown above and paler in colour below, with a finely-streaked, or striated, breast, hence the striata in its scientific name. Its song is inconspicuous too although it is one of the most high-pitched to be heard in the countryside, and older listeners may have trouble hearing it at all, it is composed mainly of high-pitched ‘tseep’, notes that sounds a bit like a squeaky wheel.
Habitat and population
The habitats the Spotted Flycatcher can be found in are varied, as long as there are flying insects, perches, and mature deciduous trees to nest in it seems to be happy in a wide spectrum of places, though it seems to prefer large, open gardens and parks in particular.
Historically it was considered a relatively common bird, but since the 1960s the population has been seen to [fall at an alarming rate](https://app.bto.org/static/birdtrends/images/2018/Cbcbbs/cbcbbsuklspofl_xl.gif
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