Spotted Flycatcher
Spotted Flycatcher
People who have Spotted Flycatchers nesting in the garden should consider themselves very fortunate. This sleek brown bird with a pale, streaked front migrates all the way to Africa for the winter. There were six times as many Spotted Flycatchers in the British countryside just thirty years ago and gardens provide important habitat for the birds that still breed in Britain. Spotted Flycatchers perch on the tips of branches, on the look out for relatively large insects which they catch in mid air.
Spotted Flycatchers like to have a good view from their nest and need a special open nest box with a low front, ideally hidden in a creeper.
Spotted Flycatcher young
Spotted Flycatcher eggs
Nesting Information
- Small open fronted box – 60mm high at front
- Height Between 2m and 4m above ground with a clear outlook.
- The nest is made of miscellaneous materials, including spiders’ webs, and lined with feathers and leaves.
- Egg-laying starts between mid May and mid August. 1 or 2 broods.
- 4 to 5 eggs. Off white, usually mottled reddish
- Incubation 12-14 days
- Nestlings fledge after 12-15 days.
More facts about this species
For more information about Spotted Flycatchers, see the BTO’s BirdFacts and Wider Countryside Report.
