The Pikd Flycatcher 25 



Family— ML 'SCICAPID.F. 



The Pied Flycatcher. 



Miiscicapa africapil/a, LiNN. 



RESPECTING the distribution of this species outside Great Britain, one 

 cannot do better than quote Howard Saunders : — " A wanderer to the 

 Faroes, the Pied Fl3'catcher breeds regularly up to 69° N. lat. in Scan- 

 dinavia, 65° in Finland, and about 60° in Northern Russia to the Ural Mountains; 

 southward, in suitable wooded localities, throughout the greater part of Europe, 

 down to the centre of Spain ; and eastward as far as Palestine ; while it has been 

 met with in Northern Persia. In Algeria it is said to be a resident species, its 

 migrations extending to the Canaries, and down the west side of Africa to the 

 Gambia, as well as on the east side to Egypt. 



In Great Britain this species is far rarer, and much more local than the 

 Spotted Flycatcher, but especially during the breeding season : although nests 

 have from time to time been obtained in many of the southern counties of England, 

 it principally affects the western counties, Wales, and the north, but more partic- 

 ularly the Lake district ; it is said to occur annually in Norfolk, and has occurred 

 in Rutland and Lincolnshire. In Scotland, and especially in the northern counties, it 

 is considerably rarer than in England, and in Ireland it has been very seldom 

 met with. 



The adult male in breeding-plumage has the upper parts black, greyer on the 

 rump, and browner on the wings ; the forehead, central coverts, outer borders of 

 secondaries, and under parts white ; bill and feet black ; iris dark brown. The 

 female differs from the male in the browner colouring of the upper parts, and all 

 the white areas with a huffish stain. The male after its autumn moult more nearly 

 approaches the female, inasmuch as the black colouring becomes brownish. Young 

 in nestling plumage have the upper parts spotted with buff, and the under parts 

 with dark-brown. 



The Pied Flycatcher arrives on our coasts towards the end of April, and the 

 first eggs may usually be obtained by about the middle of the following month, 

 although some pairs nidificate several weeks later. Unlike its relative the Spotted 

 Flycatcher, it always nests in a hole, either in a tree, a rock, wall, or bridge, 



Vol. II. H 



