E. concolor
         L. collurio
         M. striata
         S. torquata
         T. onustus
         M. gibbosus

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Unless otherwise noted, all pictures on this site were taken in Pelion, Greece, shown on the map below.

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View images of the Common Toad, an ugly, bulky, but really sweet creature with an interesting... nightlife.

  Veggie of the Month

Learn about the Salsify, a beautiful plant, with edible and medicinal properties, that is currently blooming in Pelion.

  Cool Destination

Visit Mourtias, one of Pelion's most picturesque beaches on the Aegean coast.

  Exciting Site

Tour the Volos Archaeological Museum, a pretty century-old building, whose exhibits span a historical period of over 10 millennia!

  Month's Wallpaper

Download a fantastic picture of a rickety jetty in Lefokastron, Pelion, taken by Huw Jones.

Loading image. Please wait Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) :: Apr. 1997 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) :: Apr. 1997 :: Horton :: © A.Papadopoulos No image! No image! No image!

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

This cute little bird is grey-brown in color, with an off-white breast, streaked with darker grey, and a streaked forehead. It likes to perch conspicuously and watch for passing insects, flying out to snap them up, before returning to the perch.

Spotted Flycatchers prefer natural habitats, particularly open woodland with ample clearings and prominent perches, but can adapt well to gardens and parks, which provide similar feeding opportunities.

During the breeding season Spotted Flycatchers can be found throughout the Pelion region, where they are very abundant. They are best looked for along woodland edges and in parks and gardens.

According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, recent dramatic population declines in the UK puts the Spotted Flycatcher high on the Red List.

The photograph on this page was taken in Horton, Pelion, in April 1997.

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Fact Sheet

Food
Insects.

Habitat
Mainly deciduous forest edges and clearings, open woodland, parks and large gardens. In some areas found in conifers, mainly pine and spruce and especially fond of dry and open mature pinewoods. Often nests in gardens sheds and other buildings.

Distribution
Common and widespread from the British Isles and northernmost Scandinavia south to North-West Africa and the Mediterranean, northern Turkey and the Caucasus. In the Mediterranean breeds on most of the larger islands and also in Israel and possibly Lebanon.

Highly migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, present in Western Palearctic from late April until September with passage birds seen until mid October. Occurs on passage throughout the southern part of the Region

Interesting Statistics

• Eggs: 4-6
• Incubation: 12-14 days
• Fledging: 12-16 days
• Maximum lifespan: 9 years
• Length: 14.5cm (5.7in)
• Wingspan: 23-25.5cm (9-10in)
• Weight: 14-20g (0.5-0.7 ounces)

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Taxonomy


Superkingdom: Eukaryota; Kingdom: Metazoa; Phylum: Chordata; Subphylum: Craniata; Superclass: Gnathostomata; Class: Aves; Superorder: Neognathae; Order: Passeriformes; Family: Muscicapidae; Genus: Muscicapa; Species: striata

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Acknowledgments

Because of my laziness in updating this page, the Spotted Flycatcher has been identified by several site visitors, whom I would all like to thank greatly for their help:

• Bob Jarman, Head of Agricultural Crops, Plant Variety Rights Group (PVRG), UK;
• Hans Groen, the Netherlands;
• Cees de Vries, Biologist, the Netherlands.

Most of the information on this page has been obtained from Eurobirding and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

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