| Asian Brown Flycatcher | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Muscicapidae |
| Genus: | Muscicapa |
| Species: | Muscicapa dauurica |
The Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica) is a small Asian songbird in the family Muscicapidae.
Description[]
Measuring about 13 cm long and appearing to be large-eyed, the Asian Brown Flycatcher fairly resembles the Spotted Flycatcher in body shape except that it has a relatively longer tail. The dark, relatively large broadly shaped bill is black on the upper mandible and mostly yellow on the lower mandible. The legs are blackish. The plumage is mainly grey-brown with light underparts, eye ring and mask along with dark flight feathers and coverts, and it becomes greyer as it ages. The wing primaries and median coverts have light, buffish borders. The breast and sides have a grey-brown wash. Some adults show diffuse streaking on the chest and sides. Juveniles possess scale-like patterns on the upperparts, head and breast. There is no visible differences between the sexes.
Voice[]
The Asian Brown Flycatcher's song, mostly produced by the male during courtship, is rather simple but melodic. Its calls are a thin, sharp "tse-ti-ti-ti-ti" and a bold "seeet-seet". The alarm call is a soft "tsr-tsr" and the flight call is a thin "siht". Outside of breeding season, it gives off a short "tzi", "tsee" or "neep" and a low "churr".
Behavior[]
Like many other Old World flycatchers, the Asian Brown Flycatcher acquires an upright pose and habitually flicks its tail. Its flight is weak, fluttering and direct, with shallow wingbeats.
Feeding[]
Foraging singly or in pairs, the Asian Brown Flycatcher is chiefly an insectivorous bird, catching insects in flight most of the time and sometimes picking up caterpillars. To catch insects in flight, it starts out by sitting on a perch, usually an exposed tree branch, remaining motionless and erect. Once it spots the approaching prey, it flies out of the perch to swiftly catch the prey by the beak before going back to the perched area. It also gleans prey from foliage and tree bark. It may get down to the ground to catch some insects among the grass. It is also known to occasionally eat fruit depending on the seasons, though its frugivorous behavior has not been described much in scientific literature.
Breeding and Nesting[]
Asian Brown Flycatchers are territorial during the breeding season as pairs nest solitarily. These birds are mainly monogamous, though polygynous pairs are known. The courtship of Asian Brown Flycatchers have not been described, but courtship feeding from male to female have been reported. The nest, built by the female, is most often located in the tops of birches or willows, in a fork in thick knots or at the very trunk at a height of 3 to 10 meters from the ground. The nest is twisted from blades of grass and dry straws of cereals mixed with a large amount of marsh moss. The outer surface of the nest is covered with lichens and thin birch bark or scales of willow bark and pieces of bark from these trees. This gives the nest the appearance of a small growth on a tree, making it almost impossible to find it. The nest is lined with dry larch needles inside. The shape of the nest is conventionally hemispherical, but strongly depends on the shape of the fork in which the nest is placed. The female lays four to five olive grey eggs, which she incubates herself alone for 11 to 13 days. Both parents feed the chicks and raises one brood per year. From an observation of the subspecies M. d. poonensis in India, the young may fledge 12-14 days after hatching.
Distribution and Habitat[]
The Asian Brown Flycatcher nests in eastern and southern Siberia, Japan and the Himalayas. For wintering, lasting from late August-early September to early June, it moves southward to Southeast Asia, down to Sri Lanka, Singapore and Indonesia. It lives in sparse forests and cultivated areas, but for foraging and nesting, it most prefers deciduous and pine-deciduous forests with undergrowth, frequently among the edges and glades. During winter, it also lives in swamp forests, large wooded gardens, orchards, mangroves and scrubs. On migration, it frequents a variety of wooded and open habitats.