Identification

Spotted Flycatchers are more easily identified by their characteristic feeding actions than by plumage. They prefer prominant perches where they have a good view, then watch carefully for passing insects and fly out to catch them, usually returning to the same perch. They are about the size of a Robin, have grey-brown plumage with streaking on the crown and breast and paler off-white underparts.

To listen to the song of the Spotted Flycatcher click here (.wav file 182Kb).

Bird song kindly supplied by Geoffrey Sample.

Status/distribution
Spotted Flycatchers are birds of open woodlands, parks and gardens. They are found throughout most of Britain and Ireland but are scarcer in the north of Scotland and on the west coast of Ireland. Using information collected by the Common Birds Census we know that Spotted Flycatchers have been declining since the 1960s, and between 1968-1998 the population fell by 79%. Aspects of their breeding performance have tended to improve over time so are not likely to be the main reason for the decline. It is most likely that changes in the annual survival rates of birds in their first year of life are most likely to have driven the decline. The causes of this might be due to deteriorating woodland habitats or by conditions on the wintering grounds or along migration routes.

Detailed information on Spotted Flycatcher population trends and breeding success is given on the Wider Countryside Report web pages.

Timing of migration
Mid-April is the time when the first Spotted Flycatchers start to appear, and migration peaks in mid-May. Occasionally you get records in mid-March but these are very unusual. Information from Bird Observatories suggests that migration occurs on a broad front, with south and west coast observatories all recording high numbers. It is interesting that high numbers are also recorded on Fair Isle in late May which is well to the north of the Spotted Flycatcher's breeding range.

View latest results for
Spotted Flycatcher

Animated maps for 2002

Animated maps for 2003

Animated maps for 2004

First dates and counts

Daily counts at Bird Observatories

Migration strategy/routes
Spotted Flycatchers spend the winter in Africa south of the Sahara, with most going south of the equator. A map from the Migration Atlas is here. There is one ringing record of a Spotted Flycatcher ringed as a juvenile in Gwynedd found in South Africa in the following March. They start moving north again in April, but little is known about their migration route north. They cross the Mediterranean on a broad front and appear all along the southern coast of England.

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