Black wheatear

Oenanthe leucura

Photo by Marco Valentini (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
black wheatear (en); chasco-preto (pt); traquet rieur (fr); collalba negra (es); trauersteinschmätzer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found in south-western Europe, in Spain, and marginally into Portugal and France. Also in north-west Africa, in Morocco, northern Algeria, Tunisia, Western Sahara and northern Mauritania.

Size:
These birds are 16-19 cm long and have a wingspan of 26-29 cm. They weigh 37-44 g.

Habitat:
The black wheatear is found in arid, stony areas, such as mountains, cliffs and gorges, and also in coastal cliffs, rocky offshore islands, dry scrublands and dry woodlands. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
These birds feed primarily on insects, such as beetles, butterflies, grasshoppers and flies, which they catch either on the ground or by flying from a perch. They also take spiders, small reptiles and berries.

Breeding:
Black wheatears breed in March-June. The nest is a cup of dry grasses and rootlets, lined with feathers and wool. They often add a platform of small stones around the nest, which is placed in a rock crevice, cliff, cave or man-made wall. The female lays 3-6 pale blue eggs with some reddish speckles, which she incubates alone for 14-18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-15 days after hatching. Each pair may raise up to 3 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 25.000-192.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Oriental magpie-robin

Copsychus saularis

Photo by J.M. Garg (Wikipedia)

Common name:
oriental magpie-robin (en); pisco-daial (pt); shama dayal (fr); shama oriental (es); dajaldrossel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
These birds are found in southern Asia, from eastern Pakistan, throughout India and Bangladesh and through Indochina into Indonesia, the Philippines and southern and south-eastern China.

Size:
The oriental magpie-robin is 19-23 cm long and weighs 29-42 g.

Habitat:
These birds are mostly found in tropical forests, both in dry and moist areas, but also in mangroves, scrublands, along rivers and streams, in rural gardens, plantations and in gardens and parks within urban areas. They are found from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground and in the foliage, mainly taking insects, but also nectar, earthworms, snails, small lizards and some plant matter.

Breeding:
Oriental magpie-larks breed in February-August. The nest is a loose cup made with grass and dried leaves, twigs, moss and roots. The nest is lined with plant fibres or grass and placed in a hole in tree, in a wall, in a building, a ledge under a roof, or sometimes also in thick scrubs, in forks of branches in a small tree, even in an old tin can. The female lays 3-5 pale greenish-blue eggs with reddish spots, which are incubated by both parents for 12 to 13 days. The is no information regarding the fledging period, but the chicks are raised by both parents and remain in the parental territory until the next breeding season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species is has a very large breeding range and is described as common to abundant, although generally uncommon in the Philippines. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-capped water-redstart

Chaimarrornis leucocephalus

Photo by Yeshev Dorji (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:
white-capped water-redstart (en); rabirruivo-de-coroa-branca (pt); torrentaire à calotte blanche (fr); colirrojo de capa blanca (es); weißkopfschmätzer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found in central Asia, from eastern Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan, through the Himalayas and into central and southern China, and northern Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.

Size:
These birds are 19 cm long and weigh 24-42 g.

Habitat:
The white-capped water-redstart is found along rocky rivers, streams and waterfalls and in high altitude grasslands. They are only found in mountainous areas, at altitudes of 1.800-5.100 m.

Diet:
They feed primarily on insects, namely Ephemeroptera, Diptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera, but also take spiders and molluscs and also berries and grass seeds during autumn and winter.

Breeding:
White-capped water-redstarts breed in May-August. The nest is a bulky cup made of grass, rootlets and moss, bound with mud and lined with rootlets, ferns and animal hair. The nest is placed in a hole, usually in a rock, tree, bank or wall, or under stones or tree roots. There the female lays 3-5 pale blue or blue-green eggs with darker markings, which she incubates alone. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledgling periods, but the young continue to be fed by adults for 5-6 days after fledging.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common to uncommon. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Chat flycatcher

Bradornis infuscatus

Photo by Aleix Comas (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
chat flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-chasco (pt); gobemouche traquet (fr); papamoscas africano (es); drosselschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found in southern Africa, along the coast of southern Angola, in Namibia, Botswana and western South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 20 cm long and weigh 30-35 g.

Habitat:
The chat flycatcher is mostly found in dry savannas and dry karoo scrublands, and also in desert areas.

Diet:
They forage from a low perch, pouncing on prey on the ground, mainly taking insects such as termites, bugs, beetles, ants and grasshoppers. They also hunt small reptiles such as blind snakes.

Breeding:
Chat flycatchers breed all year round, but with a peak in September-March. The nest is a bulky, untidy bowl built of dry plant stems, twigs and coarse grass lined with finer material such as rootlets and plant down. They often use aromatic plants, such as cudweed Gnaphalium and everlastings Helichyrsum, probably because they repel insects. The nest is placed in a low scrub. The female lays 2-3 eggs, which she incubates alone for 14-15 days, while the male brings her food. The chicks are fed and brooded by both parents and fledge 11-14 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as uncommon to locally very common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-throated robin

Irania gutturalis

Photo by Abdul Al-Sirha (Kuwait Bird Sightings)

Common name:
white-throated robin (en); rouxinol-de-garganta-branca (pt); iranie à gorge blanche (fr); ruiseñor pintado (es); weißkehlsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This Asian species breeds from Turkey and Israel, through the Caucasus, northern Iraq and Iran, and into northern Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and southern Kazakhstan. They migrate south to winter in East Africa, from Ethiopia to Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 16-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 27-30 cm. They weigh around 22 g.

Habitat:
White-throated robins are found in arid rocky areas, deserts, dry savannas and scrublands, dry grasslands and occasionally in agricultural areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.700 m.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, mainly taking insects and other arthropods, but also fruits.

Breeding:
White-throated robins breed in April-July. They nest in a cup of dry grass leaves, twigs, and bark, placed in a tree crevice, stump or branch, and lined with vegetable down and hair, often some feathers, bits of rag, paper, and sheep wool. There the female lays 3-5 eggs, which are mainly incubated by the female for 12-15 days. The chicks fledge 9-10 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single clutch per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and global population estimated at 2,5-11 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Asian brown flycatcher

Muscicapa dauurica

Photo by Aurélien Audevard (Korea Birds)

Common name:
Asian brown flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-pardo (pt); gobemouche brun (fr); papamoscas castaño (es); braunschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
These birds are found breeding in south-eastern Russia, Mongolia, northern China, Korea, Japan and also in the Himalayas, India, Thailand and Vietnam. Some population migrate south to winter in south-east Asia, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Size:
These birds are 11-13 cm long and have a wingspan of 19-21 cm. They weigh around 12 g.

Habitat:
These birds are found breeding in a wide range of forested habitats, including temperate forests, moist tropical forests, mangroves, and also in plantations, rural gardens and parks within urban areas. They winter in similar habitats and also in swamp areas.

Diet:
Asian brown flycatcher mainly feed on flying insects, which they catch by sallying out from a perch.

Breeding:
They nest in a cup made made of lichen, moss, and grasses and lined with finer materials. the nest is built by the female and placed on a tree branch or set in fork of a tree. The female lays 4-5 olive grey eggs, which she incubates alone for 11-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents but they is no available information regarding the length of the fledging period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range. The are no exact estimates on the global population size, but there breeding population in Russia, China, Korea and Japan all fall on the 10.000-100.000 individuals range and there are more breeding population outside these countries. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Blue-and-white flycatcher

Cyanoptila cyanomelana

Photo by Robin Newlin (Birds Korea)

Common name:
blue-and-white flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-azul-e-branco (pt); gobemouche bleu (fr); papamoscas blanco y azul (es); Japanschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species breeds in north-eastern China, extreme south-eastern Russia, Korea and Japan, migrating south to winter in Vietnam, Cambodja, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Size:
These birds are 16-17 cm long and weigh 22-25 g.

Habitat:
The blue-and-white flycatcher breeds in various wooded habitats, namely taiga, moist forests and swamp forests, but also in moist scrublands, from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m. During migration and winter they are found in tropical forests, scrublands and also coastal woodlands, plantations, parks and gardens within rural and urban areas.

Diet:
They mainly feed on larval and adult insects, mostly moths and beetles, but will also take berries when in season.

Breeding:
The blue-and-white flycatcher breeds in May-August. The cup-shaped nest is made of moss, plant fibres and lichens, and placed near the ground, in a rock crevice, among the roots of a tree, or under the overhanging bank of a stream, often sheltered by vegetation or branches. There the female lays 4-6 pale brown eggs with darker markings, which she incubates alone for roughly 14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common to locally common in most of this range, but uncommon in China, Thailand and the Philippines. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-tailed wheatear

Oenanthe leucopyga

Photo by Marco Valentini (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
white-tailed wheatear (en); chasco-de-barrete-branco (pt); traquet á tête blanche (fr); collalba negra de Brehm (es); Saharaschmätzer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae

Range:
This species is found in North Africa and the Middle East, from Morocco and Mauritania to Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

Size:
These birds are 17-18 cm long and have a wingspan of 27-29 cm. They weigh 23-32 g.

Habitat:
The white-tailed wheatear is mostly found in hot deserts, namely in rocky areas, but also in dry grasslands and scrublands.

Diet:
They mainly feed on insects, which they catch both in flight and on the ground, but they also eat plant material and small reptiles.

Breeding:
White-tailed wheatears breed in February-May. The nest is a cup of dry grasses and twigs, lined with wool and feathers, placed in a hole in rocks, under stones, in banks, or occasionally in the walls of buildings. The female lays 3-5 eggs, which she incubates alone for 14-17 days. The chicks fledge 14-17 days after hatching.



Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as generally abundant in suitable habitat. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Red-breasted flycatcher

Ficedula parva

Photo by Rajneesh Suvarna (Oiseaux)

Common name:
red-breasted flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-pequeno (pt); gobemouche nain (fr); papamoscas papirrojo (es); zwergschnäpper (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae


Range:
This species is found breeding in eastern and north-eastern Europe, from the Balkans and Poland to southern Finland, into Near Russia all the way to the Urals, and through northern Turkey and the Caucasus into northern Iran. They mainly winter in India and Pakistan, and around the Persian Gulf.


Size:
These birds are 11-12 cm long and have a wingspan of 18,5-21 cm. They weigh 8,5-11 g.


Habitat:
Red-breasted flycatchers are mostly found in mixed temperate forests and open woodlands, but also in plantations. During winter they are also found in tropical and sub-tropical dry forests and in rural areas.


Diet:
They are mainly insectivorous, eating ants, beetles, flies, butterflies and spiders, but will also eat snails and berries.


Breeding:
Red-breasted flycatchers are monogamous and territorial. The female builds the nest, an open cup made of mosses, grasses and leaves, lined with finer materials. The nest is placed in a hole in a tree or wall, or sometimes in a scrub, 1-4 m above the ground. The female lays 4-7 whitish or blue-green eggs with reddish-brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 12-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 11-15 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single clutch per year.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-starred robin

Pogonocichla stellata

Photo by Alan Manson (Wikipedia)

Common name:
white-starred robin (en); pisco-estrelado (pt); rougegorge étoilé (fr); ruiseñor estrellado (es); sternrötel (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae


Range:
This species is patchily distributed across eastern Africa, from southern Sudan down to South Africa.


Size:
This species is 15-16 cm long and weighs 18-25 g.


Habitat:
The white-starred robin is mostly found in moist evergreen mountain forests with dense understory, but also in forest edges, scrublands, pine and wattle plantations, evergreen woodlands and forest edge gardens. They occur at altitudes of 1.600-4.300 m.


Diet:
They mainly eat insects, especially beetles but also moths and caterpillars, ants, flies amphipods, bugs, wasps, crickets and mantids. They also eat centipedes, frogs and also berries and seeds when in season.


Breeding:
White-starred robins breed in October-January. The female builds the nest alone, consisting of a domed structure made of dead leaves, tendrils, rootlets and moss, and lined skeletonised leaves, flowers and animal hairs. The nest is typically placed on a slope, often at the base of a tree trunk bank or boulder, well concealed by vegetation. There the female lays 2-3 eggs, which she incubates alone for 16-18 days. The chicks are raised by both parents and fledge 13-16 days after hatching, but only become fully independent around 6 weeks later.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be abundant in parts of its range. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and predation by introduced species.

Kalahari scrub-robin

Cercotrichas paena

Photo by Ian White (Flickr)

Common name:
Kalahari scrub-robin (en); rouxinol-do-mato-do-Kalahari (pt); agrobate du Kalahari (fr); alzacola del Kalahari (es); Kalahariheckensänger (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae


Range:
This African species is found from south-western Angola, through Namibia and Botswana and into northern South Africa and Zimbabwe.


Size:
These birds are 14-16 cm long and weigh 20 g.


Habitat:
The Kalahari scrub-robin is mostly found in scrublands and dry savannas, often preferring patches of bare ground. They are also found in rural gardens and farm land. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.


Diet:
They hunt for insects and other arthropods on the ground, taking ants, termites, beetles, butterflies and caterpillars, bugs, grasshoppers, mantids and spiders.


Breeding:
Kalahari scrub-robins can breed all year round, depending on rainfall. The nest is built by the female, consisting of a compact cup, made of dry grasses, leaves and twigs, lined with tendrils, rootlets and animal hair. It is placed on a scrub near the ground, or occasionally in a man-made objects such as a tin. There the female lays 2-4 eggs, which she incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 11-14 days after hatching, but only become fully independent 4-6 weeks later.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Bluethroat

Luscinia svecica

Photo by Pawel Waclawik (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
bluethroat (en); pisco-de-peito-azul (pt); gorgebleue à miroir (fr); pechiazul (es); blaukehlchen (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae


Range:
These birds are found breeding from northern Europe, across Russia, south to the Himalayas and there is also a population in western Alaska. They winter in southern Europe, the Middle East and southern Asia.


Size:
They are 13-15 cm long and weigh 12-25 g.


Habitat:
The bluethroat is found breeding in low thickets of willow, alder and birch, in uplands and foothills, as well as floodplains, riverbanks and lake shores. They winter mostly winter in both freshwater mashes and saltmarshes.


Diet:
They mostly glean invertebrates from the vegetation, taking flies, ants, beetles and spiders, but will sometimes also eat earthworms, shrimps, small snails and small frogs, and in the winter they often eat seeds and fruits.


Breeding:
Bluethroats breed in April-July. The female builds the nest, a shallow cup made of leaves, small twigs, rootlets, grasses, plant down and moss, and lined with hairs from animals. The nest is hidden in dense vegetation. The female lays 4-7 blue or bluish-green eggs with reddish speckles, which the female incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-14 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 30-100 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Familiar chat

Cercomela familiaris

Photo by Ian White (Flickr)

Common name:
familiar chat (en); chasco-familiar (pt); traquet familier (fr); colinegro familiar (es); rostschwanz (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae


Range:
This African species is patchily distributed across the Sahel, from Guinea to Ethiopia, and a separate population stretches from Tanzania through southern D.R. Congo, Zambia, Angola, Malawi and Mozambique, all the way to South Africa.


Size:
They are 14-15 cm long and weigh 18-20 g.


Habitat:
These birds are mostly found in dry scrublands, dry savannas and in boulder-strewn mountain slopes and rocky outcrops. They generally prefer to be near water and can also be found in farmyards and rural gardens.


Diet:
Familiar chats mainly eat invertebrates, including, grasshoppers, butterflies, beetles, flies, bugs, ants, termites, spiders, solifugids, centipedes, millipedes and snails. They can also eat fruits and seeds and even human or pet food, lard and road kills.


Breeding:
These birds can breed all year round. The nest is an open cup of dry grass, paper and string, lined with finer material, such as fluffy seeds, hair, feathers and wool. It can be placed in a wide range of places, including trees, buildings, cavities in walls, nest boxes or even old burrows made by other species. The female lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated for about 13-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-19 days after hactching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
The familiar chat has a very large breeding range and is described as common to uncommon. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats, in fact they are known to adapted quite well to habitat disturbance caused by humans.

Black redstart

Phoenicurus ochruros

Photo by Henrique Pires (Flickr)

Common name:

black redstart (en); rabirruivo-preto (pt); rougequeue noir (fr); colirrojo tizón (es); hausrotschwanz (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Muscicapidae

Range:

This species is widespread in southern and central Europe, Asia and northern Africa, being found from Great Britain, southern Sweden and southern Russia, south to Morocco and east to central China.

Size:

These birds are 13-15 cm long and have a wingspan of 26 cm. They weigh 12-20 g.

Habitat:

The black redstart inhabits open, sparsely vegetated rocky terrain, including crags, cliffs and gullies, typically in hills and mountains. They are also found in scrublands and marine coastal areas and it adapted to live in industrial and urban areas, being commonly found in villages, towns and cities. They are typically found from sea level up to an altitude of 2.500 m, but sometimes occur at altitudes of up to 5.200 m in the Himalayas.

Diet:

These birds mostly eat spiders, worms, snail and various insects, but will also eat seeds, ruits and berries, especially in autumn.

Breeding:

Black redstarts breed in April-July. The female builds a loose nest of dry grass, leaves and moss which is lined with hair, wool and feathers. The nest is placed in a hole, cavity, crevice or ledge among rocks or buildings. There she lays 4-6 white or light blue eggs, which she incubates alone for 12-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12-19 days after hatching. Each pair raises 1-2 broods per year.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population estimated at 25-100 million individuals. The population tend in Europe is stable and the overall population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Narcissus flycatcher

Ficedula narcissina

Photo by Robin Newlin (Birds Korea)

Common name:

narcissus flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-narciso (pt); gobemouche narcisse (fr); papamoscas de narciso (es); goldschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Muscicapidae

Range:

This Asian species is found breeding from the island of Sakhalin, in Russia, through Japan and Korea and into north-eastern China. They migrate south to winter in south-east Asia, down to Indonesia.

Size:

These birds are 13-14 cm long and have a wingspan of 22 cm. They weigh 11-12 g.

Habitat:

Narcissus flycatchers breed in mixed deciduous forests and sub-alpine evergreen forests, from sea level up to an altitude of 1.800 m. During migration and winter they are found in more open woodlands, edges of cultivated areas with scattered trees, mangroves, parks and gardens.

Diet:

They mostly feed on insects, caterpillars and small invertebrates, but they also consume some fruits and berries.

Breeding:

Narcissus flycatchers breed in May-July. The cup-shaped nest is made with leaves and plant fibres, and lined with softer grass, placed in a natural cavity such as a hollow in a tree trunk, or a bark crevice, 1-5 m above the ground. There the female lays 3-5 white eggs with fine red markings, which she mostly incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a large breeding range and, althoug the population size is unknown, the species is described as common or locally abundant on Sakhalin island, common and widespread throughout much of Japan and fairly common in north-eastern China. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Indian robin

Saxicoloides fulicatus

Photo by J.M. Garg (Wikipedia)

Common name:

Indian robin (en); pisco-da-India (pt); pseudotraquet indien (fr); tarabilla terrestre (es); strauchschmätzer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Muscicapidae

Range:

This Asian species is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal,Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Size:

These birds are 12-14 cm long and weigh 16-17 g.

Habitat:

These birds are found in open stony, grassy and scrub forest habitats. They are mainly found in dry habitats and are mostly absent from the thicker forest regions and high rainfall areas. They are also often found close to human habitations. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.600 m.

Diet:

The Indian robin is mostly insectivorous, but they are also known to take frogs and lizards, especially when feeding young at the nest.

Breeding:

These birds breed in December-September. The nests are built between rocks, in holes in walls or in a tree hollow and are lined with animal hair and sometimes pieces of snake sloughs. The female lays 3-4 white or faint green eggs, which are incubated by the female alone for 10-12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge around 12 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

The Indian robin has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the species is described as common throughout the Indian Subcontinent south of the Himalayas, uncommon to rare in Nepal and very common in the dry zone in Sri Lanka. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-throated bushchat

Saxicola insignis

Photo by Nikhil Devasar (Oriental Bird Images)

Common name:

white-throated bushchat (en); cartaxo-de-Hodgson (pt); tarier de Hodgson (fr); tarabilla de Hodgson (es); mattenschmätzer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Muscicapidae

Range:

This Asian species breeds very locally in the mountains of Mongolia, Kazakhstan and adjacent parts of Russia. They winter in southern China, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and northern India.

Size:

This large chat is 17 cm long and weighs 17-22 g.

Habitat:

The white-throated bushchat breeds in alpine or subalpine meadows with scattered scrub. It generally favours areas of rocky outcrops and boulders, where there are small streams with many shallow ravines, gullies or gorges. During winter they are found in wet or dry grasslands, open short-grass plains and in reeds along riverbeds.

Diet:

It feeds primarily on insects, with its diet comprising mostly beetles and beetle larvae. They typically search for prey by perching on top of bushes or grasses and scanning for insects on the ground, but are also known to follow herds of swamp deer Cervus duvauceli and other moving animals, including humans, which disturb and flush out insects.

Breeding:

The white-throated bushchat breeds in May-July. They builds a bulky nest made of dry grass and lined with wool, feathers and dry moss, placed in rock clefts, crevices or holes, or in the walls of river banks, ravines and gullies. There the female lays 4-5 eggs, which she incubates alone for 14-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 14 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)

The white-throated bushchat has a relatively restricted breeding range and a global population estimated at 2.500-10.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be undergoing a moderate decline as a result of habitat loss and degradation in the wintering grounds, although up-to-date information on population trend is lacking. The major threat appears to be rapid and extensive loss and modification of grasslands in the wintering grounds, as a result of drainage, conversion to agriculture, overgrazing, grass harvesting and inappropriate grassland management within protected areas. Recent flooding has destroyed further suitable habitat.

Tickell's blue-flycatcher

Cyornis tickelliae

Photo by J.J. Harrison (Wikipedia)

Common name:

Tickell's blue-flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-de-Tickell (pt); gobemouche de Tickell (fr); niltava de Tickell (es); braunbrust-blauschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Muscicapidae

Range:

This Asian species is found from India and Sri Lanka, through Bangladesh and Nepal, and into Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Size:

These birds are 11-12 cm long and weigh 8-10 g.

Habitat:

The Tickell's blue-flycatcher is mostly found in dry forests, scrubland, bamboo and gardens. They can also be found in arable land and plantations.

Diet:

They feed mainly by capturing insects in flight but their prey include other insects such as termites and earwigs that may be gleaned or picked from the ground.

Breeding:

Tickell's blue-flycatcher breed in March-August. They nest in a hole in a tree or amongst rocks, lined with fine grasses and fibres. There the female lays 3-5 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 10-12 days. The chicks are cared for by both sexes and fledge 10-11 days after hatching, but continue to be fed by their parents for another week.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

African dusky flycatcher

Muscicapa adusta

Photo by Robert Wienand (Flickr)

Common name:

African dusky flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-sombrio (pt); gobemouche sombre (fr); papamoscas oscuro (es); dunkelschnäpper (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Muscicapidae

Range:

This African species has an isolated population in Cameroon, but the bulk of its distribution lies from Ethiopia, through Kenya and Tanzania, to Zambia, southern DR Congo and south to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Size:

African dusky flycatcher are 13 cm long and weigh 11 g.

Habitat:

It generally prefers fairly dense evergreen vegetation, such as clearings and edges of mountain and coastal lowland forest, gardens and parks, but also occurs in valley bushveld and floodplainwoodland along large rivers. It occasionally occupies miombo (Brachystegia and alien tree strands with Eucalyptus, pines Pinus, and wattles Acacia, especially on the border with fynbos.

Diet:

These birds mainly eat small flying insects, doing most of their foraging from a low branch, from which they hawk prey aerially and occasionally pounce on insects on the ground. They are known to take beetles, syrphid wasps, midges, noctuid moths and their caterpillars, and aphids. They also eat the fruits of white-ironwood Vepris lanceolata and mulberries Morus.

Breeding:

African dusky flycatchers breed in September-January. Both sexes build the nest, an untidy open cup, usually built of dead leaves, moss, grass, lichens, creeper tendrils, feathers and spider web and lined with more fine material, although it can be made entirely out of moss. The nest is typically placed in a cavity, such as in a pipe, behind peeling bark, in a rock crevice, among driftwood, in a dead tree stump or between the rafters of a thatched roof. They may also use the nests of other birds. The female lays 2-3 eggs, which she incubates alone for about 14-15 days, while being fed by the male. The chicks are mainly brooded by the female but fed by both sexes, fledging 17-22 days after hatching. Each pair usually produces 2 clutches per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

Although the population size is unknown, this species is described as generally frequent to common over much of its very large breeding range, but scarce in Zambia and rare in Eritrea. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction, but the African dusky flycatcher is not considered threatened at present.

Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Common name:

nightingale (en); rouxinol (pt); rossignol philomèle (fr); ruiseñor (es); nachtigall (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Muscicapidae

Range:

The nightingale breeds in northwest Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, as far east as north-west China. After the breeding season they migrate southwards to tropical parts of Africa, including western Sahara, Egypt, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Cameroon, and Nigeria.

Size:

These birds are 16-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 20-24 cm. They weigh 18-23 g.

Habitat:

The nightingale tends to hide in the middle of impenetrable bushes or thickets. They mainly breed in open woodland with thickets and dense patches of vegetation, often bordering water bodies, as well as at the edges and in glades of broadleaf woodland and amongst the undergrowth. They winter in a variety of habitats, including forest edge, secondary growth, riverine and woodland thickets, savanna scrub and thorny scrub.

Diet:

They mostly prey on invertebrates such as beetles, ants, worms, and spiders found on the ground. They also eat insect larvae. In the autumn they sometimes eat berries and other fruits.

Breeding:

Nightingales breed in April-July. The nest is a bulky cup of dead leaves and grass, lined with fine grasses, feathers and hair, and is placed in a thicket close to the ground. There the female lays 4-5 greenish-brown eggs which she incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-12 days after hatching. They remain in the surrounding cover for the next 3-5 days before starting to fly. They continue to be cared for by the parents for another 2-4 weeks, although the female may begin incubating a second clutch during this time, leaving the male to care for the first brood alone.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

With a very large breeding range and a global population of 15-70 million individuals, the nightingale is not threatened. In Europe, population trends since 1980 show that populations have undergone a moderate increase.