Ashy Flycatcher ( Muscicapa caerulescens, family: Muscicapidae)
Birds & Birding in the Kruger National Park South Africa. In Roberts 6 this bird was called Blue-grey Flycatcher
The Ashy Flycatcher (Latin name Muscicapa caerulescens) is described in
Roberts Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition. This bird has a unique
Roberts number of 691 and you will find a full description of this bird
on page 921 also a picture of the Ashy Flycatcher on page 753. The Ashy
Flycatcher belongs to the family of birds classified as Muscicapidae.
According to the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology the
Ashy Flycatcher is also known by these other names: White-eye
Flycatcher.
In the previous edition of Roberts (ie 6th edition) the Ashy Flycatcher was called the Blue-grey Flycatcher
The map of the Kruger you see on this page shows the areas (coloured orange) where this bird has been identified. The basic information was provided by the Avian Demographic Unit based at UCT and I created the maps from that information ... the green dots show the locations of the various Kruger National Park Rest Camps
The Ashy Flycatcher is neither Endemic or near Endemic to the Kruger National Park. It is however a common resident
In terms of distribution of the Ashy Flycatcher in the Kruger National Park you may not see it in all areas. Ashy Flycatcher : see above distribution map.
Identification assistance for this avian species ...
One of the first indicators to take note of when trying to identify a bird is it relative size. For example how big is the bird compared to a well known familiar bird. The Ashy Flycatcher is a small bird about the size of a house sparrow. Do not take this relative indicator as anything other than a rough easy to remember indicator. It is not a accurate visualization. The height of the Ashy Flycatcher is about 15 cms and its weight is about 16 gms
The male and female Ashy Flycatcher have the same plumage and colours
- Head is blue, grey.
- Eye is brown.
- Bill is black.
- Throat is grey.
- Back is blue, grey.
- Legs are grey.
This bird has normally proportioned leg length.
Main diet items for this bird ...
The Ashy Flycatcher feeds on the ground, on the wing and in foliage mainly
Reptiles
Invertebrates
Fruits
Seeds
Breeding and nesting habits for this bird ...
The Ashy Flycatcher is monogamous unless its mate dies. In the event of a partner dying Muscicapa caerulescens will seek out a new mate
The nesting habit of Ashy Flycatcher is to create the nest in a hole in a tree trunk. The bird lays eggs which are yellow in colour and number between 2 to 4
Habitat and flocking behaviour for this bird ...
The preferred habitats for Ashy Flycatcher are: woodlands . The Ashy Flycatcher is also at home in wetland and bushveld areas.
You will normally see the Ashy Flycatcher in pairs or flocks and not as single birds.
Names of this avian species in other languages ...
Xhosa ... Unknown
Zulu ... Unknown
Afrikaans ...Blougrysvlievanger
German ... Schieferschnpper
Portuguese ... Papa-moscas-azulado
French ... Gobemouche lunettes
Dutch ... Blauwgrijze Vliegenvanger
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For in-depth birding information please refer to these authoritative avian references ...
Robert's 7th edition number ... 691
The main reference source for this data was "Roberts - Birds of Southern Africa, 7th Edition" . Other references were "Newmans Birds of the Kruger Park" by Keith Newman published circa 1980 . Names in foreign languages were obtained from the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town website , www.fitzpatrick.uct.ac.za
