Fiscal flycatcher

Sigelus silens

Photo by Lip Kee Yap (Wikipedia)

Common name:

fiscal flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-fiscal (pt); gobemouche fiscal (fr); papamoscas fiscal (es); würgerschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Muscicapidae

Range:

They are found throughout South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. They are also present in south-eastern Botswana and southern Mozambique.

Size:

The fiscal flycatcher is 17-20 cm long. They weigh 26 g.

Habitat:

They are mostly found in open habitats with scattered trees or bushes. These include moist and semi-arid grassland, fynbos, bushveld, dry savanna and Acacia scrubland.

Diet:

It mostly hunts insects, namely ants, termites, grasshoppers, moths and Hemiptera. Their diet is sometimes supplemented with fruits and nectar.

Breeding:

Fiscal flycatchers breed in July-February, with a peak in October December. They female builds the nest alone, on a thick forked branch, among dead leaves or inside a dead stump. The nest consists of a bulky, open cup built of stems of dry grass combined with other plants. The interior is usually thickly lined with material such as soft plant down, feathers, rootlets. The female lays 2-4 brown eggs, which she incubates alone for 13-16 days while being fed by the male. The female feeds the chicks alone until fledging, which takes place 15-17 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

These birds have a very large breeding range. Although the population size is unknown, they are described as widespread and common, and there is no evidence for any substantial threats.