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Spotted Flycatcher

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Birds

               iSpotted Flycatcher

                             Conservation status

   Least Concern (LC)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Aves
   Order:   Passeriformes
   Family:  Muscicapidae
   Genus:   Muscicapa
   Species: M. striata

                                Binomial name

   Muscicapa striata
   ( Pallas, 1764)

   The Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata, is a small passerine bird in
   the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in most of Europe and
   western Asia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western
   Asia. It is declining in parts of its range.

   This is an undistinguished looking bird with long wings and tail. The
   adults have grey-brown upperparts and whitish underparts, with some
   streaking on the breast. The legs are short and black, and the bill is
   black and has the broad but pointed shape typical of aerial
   insectivores. Juveniles are browner than adults and show the spots on
   the upperparts which give this species its name.

   Spotted Flycatchers hunt from conspicuous perches, making sallies after
   passing flying insects, and often returning to the same perch. Their
   upright posture is characteristic.

   They are birds of deciduous woodlands, parks and gardens, with a
   preference for open areas amongst trees. They build an open nest in a
   suitable recess, often against a wall, and will readily adapt to an
   open-fronted nest box. 4-6 eggs are laid.

   Interestingly, most European birds cannot discriminate between their
   own eggs and those of other species. The exception to this are the
   hosts of the Common Cuckoo, which have had to evolve this skill as a
   protection against that nest parasite. Spotted Flycatcher shows
   excellent egg recognition, and it is likely that it was once a host of
   the Cuckoo, but became so good at recognising the intruder's eggs that
   it ceased to be victimised. A contrast to this is the Dunnock, which
   appears to be a recent Cuckoo host, since it does not show any egg
   discrimination.

   The flycatcher's call is a thin, drawn out soft and high pitched
   tsssseeeeeppppp, slightly descending in pitch.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_Flycatcher"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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