European pied flycatcher

European pied flycatcher
Adult male in Scotland
The song of a male Pied Flycatcher, recorded at Yarner Wood, Devon, England
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Ficedula
Species:
F. hypoleuca
Binomial name
Ficedula hypoleuca
(Pallas, 1764)
Range of F. hypoleuca
  Breeding
  Passage
  Non-breeding
Synonyms

Muscicapa luctuosa Temm.[2]

European pied flycatchers, 2010 in Texel, Netherlands

The European pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. One of the four species of Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers, it hybridizes to a limited extent with the collared flycatcher.[3] It breeds in most of Europe and across the Western Palearctic. It is migratory, wintering mainly in tropical Africa.[1][4] It usually builds its nests in holes on oak trees.[5] This species practices polygyny, usually bigamy, with the male travelling large distances to acquire a second mate. The male will mate with the secondary female and then return to the primary female in order to help with aspects of child rearing, such as feeding.[3][6]

The European pied flycatcher is mainly insectivorous, although its diet also includes other arthropods. This species commonly feeds on spiders, ants, bees and similar prey.[7]

The European pied flycatcher has a very large range and population size and so it is of least concern according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[1]

  1. ^ a b c BirdLife International. (2018). "Ficedula hypoleuca". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22709308A131952521. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22709308A131952521.en. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  2. ^ Gould, John (1837). The Birds of Europe. Vol. 2. (Plate 63 and following text)
  3. ^ a b Silverin, Bengt (1980). "Effects of long-acting testosterone treatment on freeliving pied flycatchers, Ficedula hypoleuca, during the breeding period". Animal Behaviour. 28 (3): 906–912. doi:10.1016/s0003-3472(80)80152-7. ISSN 0003-3472. S2CID 53177170.
  4. ^ Robinson, R.A. (2005). "Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca". BTO BirdFacts. British Trust for Ornithology. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  5. ^ "RSPB Pied Flycatcher Information Page". RSPB. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  6. ^ von Haartman, Lars (1951). "Successive Polygamy". Behaviour. 3 (4): 256–274. doi:10.1163/156853951x00296.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Silverina was invoked but never defined (see the help page).