Restless Flycatcher
Myiagra inquieta
A sturdy songbird with fairly long tail and substantial bill. Glossy black above, bright white below. Female may show buffy patch on upper breast. Similar to Paperbark Flycatcher; best identified by range. Inhabits open woodland and wetland areas, usually forages near the ground. Compare Willie Wagtail. Calls loudly with a clear whistled "tui-tui-tui” and an incomparable buzzing scissors-grinder sound.
Identification
It is about 20 cm (8 in) long, with a glossy dark blue crest, a grey-blue back and white underparts. It is similar to the willie wagtail, though the lack of a black throat, crest on head, white eyebrow and slenderer body shape are distinguishing features.
Taxonomy
Also known colloquially as razor grinder, scissors grinder, dishlicker or dishwasher on account of its unusual call, the restless flycatcher was first described by ornithologist John Latham in 1801 under the binomial name Turdus inquietus. Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin inquietus 'restless'. Populations from northern Australia and New Guinea, formerly considered a distinctive subspecies, are now separated as the paperbark flycatcher (Myiagra nana), with which it forms a superspecies.
- Scientific name
- Myiagra inquieta
- Authority
- (Latham, 1801)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Monarchidae
- Genus
- Myiagra
Range and habitat
The Restless Flycatcher is found throughout east, south-east and south-west Australia and Papua New Guinea. From Cairns in Far North Queensland into west of Central Queensland and most of New South Wales, Victoria, southern South Australia and south-west of Western Australia. During winter many south and south-eastern populations move further north. Its habitat is usually open and wooded forests, in river red gums near water, inland and coastal scrubs and some semi-urban environments.
- Migration
- Nomadic movement
Behavior
The restless flycatcher builds a cup-shaped nest from shredded bark and grasses, matted and bound with spider-webbing. Linings used are soft bark, grasses, hair or feathers. It is often decorated with lichen, strips of bark or spiders' egg sacs. The nest site is in the fork of a well-foliaged tree mostly near or overhanging water, though it can be up to twenty or more metres above the ground. They will lay three, light-grey to white glossy eggs with brown or dark spots at the larger end.<p>The restless flycatcher feeds on insects, as well as other invertebrates such as spiders and centipedes and will feed alone or in pairs. It often hovers with its head and tail pointed downwards as it picks insects off from leaves, and it rarely goes to the ground, preferring to hunt insects from mid-canopy.
Conservation
Despite being described as of least concern by the IUCN, their population is decreasing. The exact number of individuals is unknown.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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