European Pied Flycatcher: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Small but Mighty Flyers · day 7 of 7

Five facts

1. A male pied flycatcher travels on average 200 to 3,500 metres to find a second mate, then usually returns to the first.
2. A male rarely has more than two mates at once. Only two cases of a male with three mates have ever been seen.
3. From mid-September to mid-April, pied flycatchers live in Africa south of the Sahara, then fly north to breed.
4. Pied flycatchers nest in tree holes and readily take open-fronted nest boxes. They lay 4 to 10 eggs.
5. Its Latin name, ficedula, means small fig-eating bird. It also hunts caterpillars in oak foliage.

The quiz

1. After breeding with a second female, what does the male usually do?

• Leaves the area for good
• Returns to his first mate (correct)
• Moves in with the second female
• Flies south at once

The male usually goes back to his first mate.

2. How many cases of a male pied flycatcher with three mates have been seen?

• Hundreds
• Only two (correct)
• Exactly fifty
• Thousands

Males rarely go beyond two mates; only two cases of three mates have been seen.

3. Where do pied flycatchers spend mid-September to mid-April?

• In Africa south of the Sahara (correct)
• In northern Canada
• In Australia
• In Antarctica

They winter in Africa south of the Sahara, then fly north to breed.

4. How many eggs does a pied flycatcher lay?

• 1 or 2
• 11 to 20
• 4 to 10 (correct)
• Exactly 3

4 to 10 eggs are laid.

5. What does the Latin name ficedula mean?

• Little black wing
• Small fig-eating bird (correct)
• Oak-tree singer
• Fast insect catcher

Ficedula means small fig-eating bird.

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