Pied Flycatcher: A Rare Breeding Bird in Britain

Pied Flycatchers, Ficedula hypoleuca , are summer visitors who breed in the woods and forests of northern and western Britain. They arrive from the winter grounds in West Africa in the spring and begin building their nests in trees.

Sadly, Pied Flycatchers are becoming a rare bird in many areas of Britain where once they were common. Birdlife charities are concerned about the decline in their population since the 1990s. The reasons for the fall in their numbers is generally unknown.

The Pied Flycatcher is smaller than a sparrow. Males are black on the upper-parts with white on the lower parts. A white patch is noticeable on the wings. Females are browner (pictures – Birdguides - https://www.birdguides.com/species-guide/ioc/ficedula-hypoleuca/ ).

Pied Flycatchers arrive on their breeding grounds in northern and western Britain between late April and early June. Males arrive before females and also depart before females.

The stronghold of the Pied Flycatcher is the higher ground of the hills and valley of Wales.

Breeding also takes place in Devon in areas such as the woods at Dunsford in Dartmoor National Park, Padley Gorge in Derbyshire, the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, Burnham Thorpe village in Norfolk, Lowther Castle in Cumbria,

Scotland became a regular breeding ground of the Pied Flycatchers during the 19th century with range expansion in the 20th century. The nesting areas of Pied Flycatchers are now southern and central Scotland.

Pied Flycatchers can be seen in the southern and eastern counties of England while on passage to the wintering grounds. A few pairs stay and breed in areas such as Sussex.

Two pairs of Pied Flycatchers were found breeding in Lydford Gorge in Devon ( BBC – please scroll down the page - https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-england-devon-48607516 ).

The return journey to their wintering grounds in Liberia and the Ivory Coast in West Africa takes place between August and September. British Pied Flycatchers fly directly to Spain and Portugal where they “fatten up” before flying across the Sahara Desert.

Pied Flycatchers are absent as an established breeding species from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. They are considered a rare bird in Ireland.

One or two pairs have been breeding the Republic of Ireland since the 1970s. Pied Flycatchers are amber-listed due to a “very” localised breeding population. Warmer weather due to climate change is thought to be responsible for a few pairs breeding in Ireland.

Pied Flycatchers are active birds who can be seen flying quickly in and around trees in woods, forests and towns. They sometimes quarrel with other small birds such as Redstarts and Great Tits while foraging for food in trees.

The diet of the Pied Flycatcher includes small invertebrates and some seeds and fruit. Insects such as flies, beetles and caterpillars are important when feeding chicks. Spiders and millipedes are also eaten.

Pied Flycatchers can be seen hovering while catching insects in the air. They often dart from a perch to catch insects and then return quickly to a different perch. Food is sometimes found among branches or on the ground.

The loud, melodious tune of the Pied Flycatcher can be heard in woodlands in the spring. The song consists of a series of “whit” and “tic” sounds.

Pairs breed in deciduous woodland where they favour oak trees. Ash and birch woods are also used on higher ground. Some males enjoy the company of two or even three females and help raise their broods.

The nest is built by the female in a hole in a tree or a nest box. Some females use an old woodpecker's nest. The nest is made of leaves, grass, roots and moss.

Six or seven eggs are incubated for two weeks (Twitter - https://twitter.com/piedflynet/status/593172927471845376). The young learn to fly after 16 or 17 days. Both parents care for the young and raise only one brood a year.

Parents and their young disappear into the higher branches of trees or among shrubs before undertaking their long migration.

The Pied Flycatcher is a red-listed species of bird in Britain. They were moved from the amber list to the red list because the population has “decreased steeply since 1994 (Birdtrends - https://app.bto.org/birdtrends/species.jsp?&s=piefl ).

Some figures state the population of Pied Flycatchers has fallen by 53 % since the 1990s. Other sources claim a decline of 25% has occurred in the last 25 years.

The number of Pied Flycatchers has fallen in Scotland except for the south and west where they remain stable.

The population in Europe has also fallen since the 1980s.

The European Pied Flycatcher is classified of Least Concern by IUCN.

Europe hold 75% of the global breeding population and a “moderate decline” has been recorded between 1980 and 2013.

The reasons for the decline in Britain is unknown. A map showing the decline of the Pied Flycatcher may be seen on page 14 of Climate change Phenology by the BTO (https://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u37/downloads/about_birdtrack/BTO_294pg12-14.pdf )

Researchers in the Netherlands recently found “As European winters have become warmer, pied flycatchers travelling from Africa to reach breeding grounds in the Netherlands are arriving to find that resident great tits have already claimed nesting sites for the season. As a result, the number of flycatchers killed in great tit nests has risen dramatically “ (Science Daily - https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190110141908.htm ).

However, the BTO has yet to find a mismatch in their ongoing investigations into the decline of the Pied Flycatcher in places such as Wytham Woods in Oxfordshire.

Oak moth caterpillars are fed to the chicks of Pied Flycatchers in the summer. Climate change has caused Oak moth caterpillars to hatch earlier in recent years and thought to be one of the reasons for the decline in the population of Pied Flycatchers ( Telegraph - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/04/23/warming-climate-leaves-birds-hatching-late-caterpillar-harvest/ ).

For more information on the birds of the gardens and countryside of Britain and Ireland, please visit
http://bird4u.mzzhost.com/index.html