Appearance:

Largest flycatcher in covered area. Easily overlooked bird with greyish brown upperparts and pale underparts. Crown and chest speckled. Bill and legs black. Slim white fringes to flight feathers and greater coverts. Body, wings and bill longer than in Pied Flycatcher, leaving a more elongated impression. Erect posture. Behaviour similar to congeners, with rapid darts and frequent hovering when hunting insects. Flicks tail and wings while perched.

Sound:

The discreet calls often goes unnoticed. Most calls high pitched with a buzzing, "electric" timbre. Alarm call a sharp, drawn "tzreeeee-check", with the second syllable abruptly clipping the sound. Song a primitive, slow series of various buzzing and very high pitched sounds. No recurring 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

Appearance:

Plumage a mix of rusty, creamy brown and grey, resembling a nightjar. A rather unmistakable bird, despite the lack of striking plumage features. Behaviour both passerine- and woodpecker-like, but with less woodpecker-like tree clinging. Often feeds on the ground. May give a reptile-like impression.

Sound:

Normally silent when not breeding. Song (both sexes): an insisting, Merlin- or Lesser Spotted Woodpecker-like series of plaintive "kee kee kee kee kee ". First slightly ascending, then descending. Other sounds: a guttural "gru", and hissing sounds when threatened.

Song:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

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