One of the 3 flycatchers on WAnimals
Birds · Passeriformes · Muscicapidae
Collared Flycatcher
Ficedula albicollis
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
A black and white flycatcher very similar to the pied flycatcher, from which it is told apart by the complete white collar around the neck, the large white patch on the forehead and the pale rump. Outside the breeding season the black is replaced by brown and it becomes very hard to separate from its relative.
Weight
13 g on average
Size
12 cm – 13.5 cm
Lifespan
3 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- It is one of the four black-and-white flycatcher species of the western Palearctic, and where it overlaps with the pied flycatcher it hybridises with it to a limited extent.
- Its song consists of slow whistles, very different from those of the pied flycatcher, but in mixed populations pied flycatchers will imitate it.
- A case of triparental care has been documented: two females and one male feeding a single brood.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Mature woodland, parks and gardens of central and eastern Europe, with a marked preference for old trees with cavities. It also uses nest boxes
- Birth weight
- Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
- Size at birth
- Altricial: born blind, naked or with sparse down and entirely dependent
- Sexual maturity
- 12 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 12-14 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 5-7 eggs as a rule, in an open nest inside a tree hole
Sources consulted: IUCN Red List (BirdLife International 2017); De Juana et al. 2007, Ardeola 54(1); Wikipedia (Collared flycatcher); Laczi et al. 2021, Ecology and Evolution 11
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: On migration; in Spain it is a rarity and does not breed
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 69 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Collared Flycatcher — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striata
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleuca
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros
Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush
Monticola saxatilis
Cyprus Wheatear
Oenanthe cypriaca
Isabelline Wheatear
Oenanthe isabellina
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about collared flycatcher.
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