Ashy Flycatcher
Muscicapa caerulescens
Riverine woodland. Grey above; pale grey below; wings blackish.
Flycatchers
LC
Not Endemic
Description
Fairly common resident. Blue-grey coloration makes this species confusable only with [Grey Tit-Flycatcher], from which it differs in behaviour and lack of any white in tail. Immature has spotted upper parts and mottled underparts. Calls a short descending phrase ‘tsip-tsip-tsip-tsip-tse-tslipip’ but is mostly silent. Occurs in pairs in coastal bush, riverine forests, forest fringes and broad-leaved woodland. Perches in the mid stratum and watches the ground for insects or catches them in mid-air, often returning to the same perch. A quiet, inconspicuous species.
Quick Facts
Size
14-15 cm - S
Names
A: Blougrysvlieëvanger
Z: usikhothamlotha
G: Schieferschnäpper
Bird Family
Small, insectivorous birds with prominent bristles protruding from the base of their bills. Many of the soberly coloured species catch insects on the ground or in flight after watching from a low perch; others, especially the colourful and ornate species, are leaf-gleaners, but also hawk insects in short aerial sallies.
Distribution
Gallery
Behaviour
Breeding
Habitat
Occurs in pairs in coastal bush, riverine forests, 'forest' fringes and 'broad-leaved woodland'.
