Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – African Paradise Flycatcher

IN our previous article, we featured the African Dusky Flycatcher and mentioned that it is informally classified by birders as an LBJ – little brown job. In this issue, we will cover a relative of the Dusky, but one that is quite beautiful in appearance and definitely not an LBJ: the African Paradise Flycatcher.

It is a nightmare to photograph this bird as it hardly ever stands still for more than a second as it flits about in the forest canopy. The males are forever flicking their long tails which makes focussing an added challenge!

Description
This bird, and in particular the male, is a stunner and cannot be confused with any other species given its raised crown feathers, ultramarine ring around the eye and ridiculously long, bright rusty-orange tail. The wing feathers are also a bright, rusty orange while most of its feathers are a metallic greenish black. The long tail is a feature during the breeding season and is more than 20cm long, while the main body of the male is about 17cm. Males and females are similar, but the female does not have a long tail. There are cases of colour variations, with some birds showing signs of albinism, but these are rare.

ALSO READ: Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – African Dusky Flycatcher

Distribution
They are found throughout most of the wooded parts of sub-Saharan Africa and in the easter parts of South Africa, which includes KwaZulu-Natal all the way down to the Western Cape.

Habitat
They are primarily forest birds, so we are fortunate with our well-wooded riverine forests in the Upper Highway as they provide an ideal home for this species. They are quite at home in well-wooded gardens and are not timid around humans, so they can often be seen close up. They don’t often sit still for photographs though.

Feeding
They are insectivorous and will most often hunt on the wing. They feed on a very wide range of insects from beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies, flies, mosquitoes and even cockroaches. They will occasionally feed on the ground and will, on occasion, eat berries.

Breeding
Both male and female build a tiny and delicate cup-shaped nest made of twigs but line them with any soft materials at hand. They even use bits of cloth found near homes. The nests are tiny and the adult birds barely fit in them. The female lays up to four eggs that take about 19 days to incubate. Incubation is shared by both parents, who both feed the chicks.

Predators
The African Paradise Flycatcher, although small in size, can be quite an aggressive bird towards larger birds and will defend its territory from other males of the same species.

Threats
It is an abundant species throughout its territory and is not considered under any obvious or immediate threat. As with all species that rely on forest habitats, there is always a threat of deforestation and, in our area, that is generally due to housing developments.

ALSO READ: Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – Red-chested Cuckoo (Piet-my-Vrou)

Local information
Your best chance of spotting this species in our area is along the streams in one of our many riverine forests or among the tall trees in your garden. Good spots are the Longshadow Trail in Everton Gorge, the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve and the forest section of the Msinsi Grassland Project. They are breeding migrants and usually arrive in our area between September and October and leave again in March to April.

Interesting facts
As with a number of the flycatchers, this species has a unique courtship ritual. The male will approach the female in an undulating flight that shows off its long, brightly coloured tail. It will perch upright and display his crest while sweeping his tail and quivering his wing tips. It will call throughout the display with a wide-open bill to show off the bright colour of its mouth. It may even dance on the perch. A male will repeat this to different females until one decides to pair with him. Once a pair is formed, they mate for life.

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