# Spotted Flycatcher (*Muscicapa striata*) The Spotted Flycatcher is a small, friendly bird that loves to catch insects in the air. It has a lovely spotted chest and can often be seen sitting quietly on branches, waiting for its next meal. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests ![Spotted Flycatcher](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/SpottedFlycatcheronfence.jpg&width=800) Photo: Andrew Easton, Attribution · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SpottedFlycatcheronfence.jpg) ## Appearance The Spotted Flycatcher is a small, slender bird with dull grey-brown upperparts and whitish underparts. It has a subtly streaked crown and breast, lacking any bright colours, making it blend well into its surroundings. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Muscicapidae - **Genus:** Muscicapa ## Interesting facts - After catching an insect, they usually fly back to the very same perch! - These birds can gobble up hundreds of flying insects in just one hour! - They often return to the exact same nesting spot every year! - They sometimes build their cozy nests right on window ledges or garden sheds! ## Special abilities - **Hawk-Eye Hunter:** Spotted Flycatcher can dart out from a perch to snatch flying insects mid-air, thanks to amazing vision and agility. - **Stealthy Blending:** Spotted Flycatcher has dull, streaky plumage that helps them blend perfectly into tree bark and branches, hiding from predators. - **Air Acrobat:** Spotted Flycatcher can perform quick twists and turns in flight, helping them chase agile insects and escape predators easily. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 13-15 cm - **Wingspan:** 23-25 cm - **Weight:** 0.014-0.019 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-8 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 4-6 - **Incubation:** 12-14 days - **Migration Distance:** 6000 km ## Diet & Feeding Spotted Flycatchers love to eat all sorts of flying insects, catching them mid-air with acrobatic skill! - **Primary Foods:** flies, wasps, bees, beetles, moths, butterflies - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Eurasian Sparrowhawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eurasian-sparrowhawk) (*Accipiter nisus*) — Juveniles and adults are prey for these agile raptors. - **Eaten by:** [Domestic Cat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/domestic-cat) (*Felis catus*) — Preys on ground-nesting birds and fledglings in gardens. - **Eats:** [Housefly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/housefly) (*Musca domestica*) — A common and abundant food source for flycatchers. - **Eats:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Occasionally caught as food, especially when abundant. - **Depends on:** [English Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/english-oak) (*Quercus robur*) — Provides essential perching, nesting sites, and insect habitats. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Spotted](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spotted): Marked with spots or patches of a different color. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Spotted Flycatcher? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Spotted Flycatcher? 13-15 cm ### What is Spotted Flycatcher's wingspan? 23-25 cm ### How much does Spotted Flycatcher weigh? 0.014-0.019 kg ### How long does Spotted Flycatcher live? 2-8 years ### How fast can Spotted Flycatcher move? 35 km/h ### What does Spotted Flycatcher eat? Spotted Flycatchers love to eat all sorts of flying insects, catching them mid-air with acrobatic skill! ### Where is Spotted Flycatcher usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Cabrera Archipelago National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cabrera-archipelago-national-park) — Spain, ES · National Park - [Jardín del Turia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jard-n-del-turia) — Spain, ES · Park ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Spotted Flycatcher: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-flycatcher)