Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia)

(13 cm.) Yellow rump; yellow throat and underparts; black head, back, wings, and tail; conspicuous white eye-line

The Yellow-rumped Flycatcher is one of the most beautiful birds in China. It is a brightly colored flycatcher of yellow, black and white with a distinctive patch of yellow at the base of its tail providing it with its English name. Females of the species are less brightly colored than males, but still share the yellow rump, making them readily identifiable. It is also known as the “Korean Flycatcher” and the “Tricolor Flycatcher”.

As with all members of the flycatcher family, it is an insectivorous species that will perch and wait for flying insects to pass by. This species is also often seen foraging along tree branches and probing tree bark in a manner similar to a tit.

This species, like many of the flycatcher family, is highly migratory and travels far from its summer breeding grounds to spend winter. In summer, this bird breeds in East Asia including Western Japan, Korea, and much of Northeast China as far south as Shandong Province. Following its fall migration, this species can be found in a wide range of South Asia as far west as parts of India. It shows a fondness for all types of forest for nest-building and breeding.

All flycatchers make very neat, cup-shaped nests that are often lined with materials such as hair and decorated with moss.

All flycatchers sit on their perches with a distinctive posture. They sit upright with their bodies at close to a 90 degree angle to their perch. Other bird species perch with their bodies in a less upright position.

Thankfully, the beautiful Yellow-rumped Warbler is a common and successful species that can be often spotted with little effort. During its spring and fall migrations, it is can be found in city parks, especially beside small rivers and streams.

Grey-streaked Flycatcher (Muscicapa griseisticta)

(14 cm.) Small; grey upperparts; heavily streaked white underparts; eye ring

The Grey-streaked Flycatcher is a rather petite and slight member of the flycatcher family, but despite its diminutive size it engages in the pursuit of flying insects with all the fervor of other members of the flycatcher family.

This species is quite drab in appearance when compared with some other members of its family, but it is quite an attractive bird nonetheless. Unlike some other flycatcher species, males and females of this species look alike.

This species of flycatcher breeds in summer in the coniferous forests of northern China and Russia where it is especially fond of the Larch Tree for nesting. Like many other Chinese flycatchers, this bird embarks on a long-distance trek south along the Chinese East Coast to its wintering grounds. In winter, this species can be found in Taiwan, Borneo, Indonesia, the Philippines, and as far south as New Guinea.

The Grey-streaked Flycatcher can usually be found hunting for insects nearby rivers and streams as it seems to favor smaller insects such as mosquitoes that congregate near water.

This bird will perch patiently until potential prey is spotted, and then fly off quite a distance, often as far as 20 meters, in an attempt to capture a meal. The bird will return to exactly the same perch and begin the process again. More often than not, the flycatcher’s attempts at capturing prey are successful.

All flycatchers are equipped with stiff bristles that surround the base of their bills. These bristles act as a net, assisting the flycatcher with the capture of its prey. All flycatcher species are also blessed with an extremely large gape (size of mouth with bill open) to further assist in their hunting activities.

Photo by Brian Westland



Blue and White Flycatcher (Cyanoptila cyanomelana)

(17 cm.) Male: Face, throat and breast black; upperparts blue; underparts white. Female: Grey-brown upperparts; brown wings and tail; white down center of throat and belly.

The Blue and White Flycatcher’s name is a descriptive moniker which goes a long way to explain this bird’s appearance and behavior. The male of the species is largely blue and white, but it also has large patches of black on the face and throat. The female, like many songbirds, is a much less beautiful bird than the male.

The bird’s family, “flycatcher”, or “muscicapidae” is a group of generally small songbirds which engage in active forms of hunting for flying insects such as flies. Many species of this family found in China are brightly colored. They are often seen sitting motionless on a perch, usually a protruding branch of a tree, waiting for a flying insect to pass before they launch themselves on a short flight to attempt to capture their prey.

The Blue and White Flycatcher if somewhat larger than other flycatchers and its striking coloration makes it one of the most beautiful to behold.

This species, like all members of its family, is highly migratory, and in fact, is only visible in many locations in the country during its migrations. It is fairly common, however, and given a little effort on the part of the observer, it can be found often during migration.

In summer, this bird breeds through Korea and Northern China, it migrates the entire length of the East Coast of China to its wintering grounds in South China, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

The Blue and White Flycatcher shows a preference for wooded areas such as deciduous forests. It can often be seen hunting and feeding high in the forest canopy.

This species is fond of all kinds of insects, not only flying ones. While smaller flycatchers will content themselves with the pursuit of flying insects, this species will often be seen searching the ground for insects and other invertebrates such as millipedes and centipedes.

Photo by Brian Westland

Photo by Brian Westland