- Muscicapa dauurica
Identification
13 cm. Grey-brown upperparts, which become greyer as the plumage ages, whitish underparts, brown-tinged flanks, dark bill is relatively large and broad-based. Young birds have scaly brown upperparts, head and breast. [1]
Distribution
Breeds from southern Siberia to India and east to northern China and Japan.
Winters from India to China, the Philippines, South-East Asia and Indonesia. Leaves breeding areas from mid Aug and return in May and early Jun.
In the Western Palearctic recorded as a vagrant in Denmark (Sep 1959),Sweden (Sep 1986) and also reported in Turkey (May 1990). A record from Germany (Heligoland, Aug 1982) is generally regarded as an escape and others from the Faroes, Ireland and Norway are considered inadequately documented. Recorded in Britain in Northumberland in Sep 1956 and a first-summer bird on Fair Isle, Shetland in Jul 1992 but both are generally considered escapes.
Taxonony
As treated here this species is monotypic.
Ashy-breasted Flycatcher andBrown-streaked Flycatcher have been considered conspecific with this species in the past. The first split is widely accepted, the second not by every authority.
Habitat
Open woodland of deciduous trees or sometimes conifers, parks and large gardens, plantations and orchards. On passage frequently in cultivated and even completely treeless areas.
Behaviour
It nests in a hole in a tree; 4 eggs are laid which are incubated by the female.
