Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – Ashy Flycatcher

THE Ashy Flycatcher is one of seven species of Flycatcher that are found in the Highway area. The Kloof Conservancy have previously written about the Dusky, Southern Black and the Paradise Flycatcher. There are another nine species of Flycatcher that can be found in other parts of South Africa but not in the Highway area.

ALSO READ: Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – The Booted Eagle

Description

The Ashy Flycatcher is small bird at 15cm and 18g and it is also a shy bird so easy to miss. Their upperparts are a coolish blue-grey colour while the chest feathers are a slightly lighter shade. Males and females are identical in appearance and their distinguishing feature is the white eye-ring which has a dark stripe through the eye, and a short pale eyebrow.

In the Highway area they may be confused with the Dusky Flycatcher, which is slightly smaller, brownish in colour and has a streaked chest.

Distribution

The Ashy Flycatcher can be found across large parts of central Africa but in Southern Africa it is only found along a narrow strip along the eastern part of the sub-continent. They are a resident species so they can be spotted at any time of the year.

Habitat

They are fond of forest edges and evergreen vegetation, so you are unlikely to find them deep inside a forest. They are also commonly found in the Highway’s riparian forest areas. They do enjoy well treed gardens so are frequent visitors to urban areas near forested areas.

Feeding

They feed almost exclusively on small, winged insects such as wasps, midges and some beetles. They do enjoy feeding with other species and this is quite a regular practice with small birds and the reason may be that they feel safer in numbers.

Breeding

The Ashy Flycatcher is a monogamous species pairing up for life and they are also territorial so won’t allow another pair to nest in their space. Nest building is done by both adults and the small cup-loke nest is usually set in a cavity on a tree or a narrow fork. Feeding of the chicks is done mainly by the female who relies on the male to bring juicy insects to the nest.

Predators and threats

The Ashy Flycatcher is not considered under any significant threat other than that of deforestation for human development.

Local information

The Ashy Flycatcher is quite a common bird in all the Highway area. It is a shy and relatively quiet bird so one really needs to be observant to spot it. It will be found in many local gardens and along the forest edges of our riverine areas.

Interesting facts

Flycatchers belong to the order Passeriformes and the family Flycatchers which in simple terms are birds that catch flying insects. They are found on all continents except Antarctica and are the largest bird family with over 400 species.

Support
To support the ongoing work of the Kloof Conservancy, visit its website at https://www.kloofconservancy.org.za.

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