Appearance:

A small and elegant flycatcher with deep chest, slender vent and fairly long tail. Head rounded and bill thin. Best field mark is the dark tail with white edges at the base (Wheatear-like) shown in all plumages. Often flirts tail, showing the diagnostic markings. Male recognized by Robin-like throat-patch and slate grey head. The red is restricted to the upper throat, and does not extend to the cheeks like in Robin. Very acrobatic flight when hunting. More pronounced flicking of tail than in other flycatchers, with tail sometimes even pointing forward over back, before being let down slowly.

Sound:

Alarm call a sharp and dry "trrrrrt". Song comprised of three continuous sections; first a few separate ascending notes which leads into a motif of 2-3 notes, which then closes with a few falling single notes. Tone is resonant and full, like in Pied Flycatcher.

Alarm call, song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-photo:Hiyashi Haka, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Male with shiny black upperparts and pure white underparts. Female grey-brown with pale underparts. Both sexes with broad white edges to tertials and greater coverts, forming a broad white patch (largest in males). Fairly compact body compared to Spotted Flycatcher, with shorter tail and bill. Easily confused with Collared- and Semicollared Flycatcher where these occur. Both sexes differs from Semicollared in no white edges to end of tail and less white at base. Distinguished from Collared in white patch beneath alula being narrow and not reaching edge of wing (both sexes), white base of tail (black in Collared males) and no collar (males).

Sound:

Alarm call a sharp, energetic "wit", often in combination with a short "tic"; "whit-tic". Song a pleasant, tuneful, simple but varied phrase. Typically starts with disyllabic notes being repeated 3-5 times, diminishing in pitch and intensity like an echo of the first two syllables. Occasionally throws in a quick diagnostic ascending scale excercise. Clear notes and well defined pauses between phrases.

Song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC