African Dusky Flycatcher
Muscicapa adusta
A small, dumpy, buff-brownish flycatcher with a pale throat, a short eyebrow in front of the eye, a mostly plain crown, and indistinct mottling on the breast. It prefers thicker woodland and the edges of evergreen and riverine forest, perching at lower and middle levels and sallying to catch insects, or occasionally sitting on the ground. High-pitched “tzeet” and “tsirit” calls often betray its presence. The similar migrant Spotted Flycatcher has a longer tail and wings than the African Dusky Flycatcher, and it also has distinct streaking on the crown. The Gambaga Flycatcher is paler and mostly restricted to arid woodland.
Identification
The African dusky flycatcher is 13 cm (5.1 in) long and weighs around 11 g (0.39 oz). Its upperparts are plain brown, with the only facial marking being an indistinct narrow eye-ring. The chin is plain pale grey, and the rest of the underparts are grey-brown with indistinct streaks. The short, straight, laterally flattened bill is black, the legs and feet are grey, and the eyes are brown. The sexes are similar, but the juvenile is spotted with buff above, and is whitish spotted with brown below.<p>This species is similar to the common migrant, the spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata, but is smaller and darker, especially on the underparts, than that species. Spotted flycatcher also has a streaked forehead, a feature not shown by the African dusky flycatcher.<p>The African dusky flycatcher has soft, high-pitched "tzeeet" and tsirit calls.
Taxonomy
Genus: Muscicapa; Family: Muscicapidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Muscicapa adusta
- Authority
- (Boie, F, 1828)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Genus
- Muscicapa
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The African dusky flycatcher builds a cup-shaped nest in a tree cavity a few metres above the ground, and lays two or three green eggs. The hole in the tree is normally reused in the next breeding season. This species is monogamous, mating for life.<p>The African dusky flycatcher is usually seen singly or in pairs. It forages from an open perch for insects typically taking its prey in a short flight.
Conservation
This common species has a large range, with an estimated extent of 2,300,000 km². The population size is believed to be large, and the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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