Pied Flycatcher
| Irish Name: | Cuilire alabhreac |
| Scientific name: | Ficedula hypoleuca |
| Bird Family: | Flycatchers (chats) |
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Conservation status
Conservation status
Status
A rare summer visitor from May to September, as well as a scarce passage migrant in spring and autumn.
Identification
About the same size as a Robin. Has typical flycatcher behaviour - sitting quietly on branch, before darting out to catch passing insects. Adult summer males have a black head, back, and tail. Has a large white patch on the wing. The underparts are white, while the rump is black with a faint white wash. Rarely, the head and back are grey-brown rather than black - this form is more prevalent in Pied Flycatchers breeding in Continental Europe. Adult female Pied Flycatchers largely resemble adult males, but are light brown on the head and back. The white patch on the wing is much less extensive, while the underparts have a brownish wash. Juveniles are almost inseperable from female birds.
Voice
The most frequently heard calls are a short “pik” and a quiet “tek”. The song consists of a series of repeated high-pitched notes ending in a crescendo.
Diet
Insects caught in flight. Like the Spotted Flycatcher, usually perches on an exposed branch in a woodland clearing, darting out to catch any passing insects.
Breeding
Pied Flycatchers are rare breeders in extensive broadleaf woodlands (oak), with less than ten pairs recorded in most years. Singing birds have been recorded in woodlands throughout Ireland (e.g. Counties Kerry, Mayo, Sligo), but breeding is unlikely or sporadic at best away from the regular sites in County Wicklow. Will use nestboxes. Migrants can be seen in coastal gardens and hedgerows in spring and autumn.
Wintering
Pied Flycatchers winter in central and southern Africa.
Monitored by
Breeds across Northern half of Europe. Quite common in UK. Rare passage migrant to Ireland, encountered at headlands along the south coast, for example Hook Head in County Wexford and Galley Head in Cork.
Winters in Africa.
