Identification
A small flycatcher with a pale eye-ring and a distinctive black-and-white tail pattern. Mature males can show orange-red on the throat and breast.
When to look
A long-distance migrant, with many European birds wintering in southern Asia. Passage birds can appear outside their preferred nesting habitat.
Where to look
Mature woodland with an open space between undergrowth and canopy provides hunting perches. Mixed deciduous stands are important breeding habitat.
Behaviour and ecology
Food and nutrition
Insects and other small invertebrates are taken from perches and during short feeding flights.
Breeding and life cycle
A cup nest is placed in a sheltered tree cavity or another suitable recess. Mature trees provide both food and nesting opportunities.
A closer look
A bird without an orange throat may still belong to this species. Tail pattern, structure and voice are valuable when age or sex makes colour less obvious.
Global conservation assessment
LC · Least Concern
Global category recorded from the linked assessment; it does not describe local abundance. Least Concern does not mean absence of threats.
View the source assessment ↗Observation and photography
Wait quietly in suitable woodland instead of using playback. Avoid blocking a repeated feeding route that may lead towards dependent young.
Sources and further reading
Keep a distance that allows birds to feed and rest normally. Do not enter colonies, approach nests, flush roosts or use playback for photographs. Never publish precise nest locations of sensitive species. Follow reserve rules and your guide's advice.