Fun Little Pied Flycatcher Facts For Kids

Moumita Dutta
Oct 20, 2022 By Moumita Dutta
Originally Published on Nov 05, 2021
Edited by Monisha Kochhar
Little pied flycatcher facts shed light on this amazing bird.

The little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, is a little passerine bird. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and several other countries of Southeast Asia.

The bird mainly favors subtropical and tropical climates. The avian can be spotted in the moist montane forests and moist lowland forests. There are several subspecies of this species.

They are Ficedula westermanni collini, Ficedula westermanni palawanensis, Ficedula westermanni mayri, Ficedula westermanni rabori, Ficedula westermanni westermanni, Ficedula westermanni hasselti, Ficedula westermanni langbianis, and the Ficedula westermanni australorientis. The location of the subspecies varies from one another.

They are also almost similar in appearance. The bird is visible on a range of elevations. The avian is mostly a resident, however, it is known for its migration across short-range altitudes.

The breeds found in the Himalayas are known to spend the non-breeding season in the foothills. A vagrant population is seen in Cambodia and the south of Vietnam.

Like reading about this pied flycatcher (Ficedula westermanni)? Want to know more about this pied flycatcher species? Let's move on. If you like reading about this article, you may also like reading about the parrot and the shoebill


 

Little Pied Flycatcher Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a little pied flycatcher?

The little pied flycatcher Ficedula is a bird belonging to the phylum Chordata and the order Passeriformes.

What class of animal does a little pied flycatcher belong to?

The little pied flycatcher Ficedula belongs to the class Aves, that is, it is a bird.

How many little pied flycatchers are there in the world?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the exact number of mature individuals of the little pied flycatcher (Ficedula) is not known. However, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the population trend of the little pied flycatcher (Ficedula) is showing a decline.

The population of the little pied flycatcher (Ficedula) is not severely fragmented.

The population is protected over its entire range. Also, the population of the birds has not been subjected to ex-situ conservation.

Where does a little pied flycatcher live?

The little pied flycatcher range map is not too vast. The little pied flycatcher (Ficedula) is found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The little pied flycatcher (Ficedula) is a resident of the Himalayas as well.

What is a little pied flycatcher's habitat?

The little pied flycatcher (Ficedula) is found in evergreen forests, open woodlands, orchards, and deciduous forests.

Who do little pied flycatchers live with?

The little pied flycatcher (Ficedula) is solitary by nature. However, they are seen in pairs in the breeding season. Sometimes, a little pied flycatcher (Ficedula) may be seen in flocks with birds of other species.

How long does a little pied flycatcher live?

The birds live for around four years.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, is in the months of March to August. The young birds are fed in Borneo in the month of August.

The nest is built by both the male and the female. The nest is built of moss, fibers of plants, dry sedges, rootlets, hair from animals, and fungal hyphae. The breeding nest is built at an elevation of 32 ft (10 m) from the ground.

The breeding nest is placed in orchid creepers or clumps, epiphytic fern stems, roots of trees, on the ground amongst stones, or under boulders or a slope. The little pied flycatcher female lays a clutch containing two eggs. Sometimes, three eggs are laid as well.

The eggs are incubated and the nestlings are looked after by both parents. The exact information on the period of incubation is not known.

What is their conservation status?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, is classified as Least Concern.

Little Pied Flycatcher Fun Facts

What do little pied flycatchers look like?

The male pied flycatchers have black and white plumage. The females have gray and brown plumage. There is a broad white patch on the throat and underparts in the male of the species.

The females have grayish-brown feathers on the breast and the flanks. The iris is dark brown in color in the male birds. The bill and the feet are black in the male birds. The upper-tail-coverts in the females are a dull brown in shade.

The mantle of the female of the birds is a dark slate in color. The physical features of the juveniles are a bit different. However, there are certain links with the adults.

How cute are they?

The pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, with its soft feathers is very cute. The fledglings of the pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, are cute as well.

How do they communicate?

The pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, has an interesting way of communicating with others. In the Himalayas, the song is made of thin and high notes in a series.

In the Malay peninsula, it is a bit different, the song is made of eight notes of one variety, followed by notes of another variety. There is also a rattling and buzzing song. On the island of Sula (Taliabu), the calls are made of a high-pitched and thin note followed by a note of another variety.

How big is a little pied flycatcher?

The little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, of the family Muscicapidae is 3.93-4.33 in (10–11 cm) in length. The bird of the family Muscicapidae is smaller in size than the European pied flycatcher which is 4.7–5.3 in (12-13.5 cm) and the vermilion flycatcher in length.

How fast can a little pied flycatcher fly?

The exact information is not available for the pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, however, they are known to be fast fliers.

How much does a little pied flycatcher weigh?

The little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, weighs about 0.24-0.28 oz (7-8 g) which is about the same weight as the least flycatcher.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male and the female of this bird species do not have sex-specific names.

What would you call a baby little pied flycatcher?

A baby little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermannim is called a fledgling.

What do they eat?

The little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, is mainly a carnivore. The little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, feeds on larvae, small invertebrates, flies, and caterpillars.

Are they dangerous?

These birds are not known to be harmful to humans.

Would they make a good pet?

It is not known that whether they will make good pets or not. However, they are best left off in the wild.

Did you know...

The little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, perches on wires by the roadside.

The little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, can pursue insects in flight.

The little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, is a very active bird. It moves from branch to branch and tree to tree. The little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, is also a conspicuous bird.

Different types of flycatcher

The Ficedula hypoleuca is a little passerine of the genus Ficedula that belongs to the Old World flycatcher family. This bird spends the winter months in tropical Africa. This bird species breeds mainly in the natural habitat in Europe.

The natural description of this bird matches with the Ficedula westermanni. The bird is one of the four species of the West Palearctic group.

References of this bird often come up when describing the Ficedula westermanni. The pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) migrates from West Africa to the UK. It migrates from tropical West Africa to breed.

Are they endemic?

The little pied flycatcher, Ficedula westermanni, can be said to be endemic to Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The geographic locations of the species are not too diverse.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these great frigatebird facts and southern cassowary facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable bird coloring pages.

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Written by Moumita Dutta

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

Moumita Dutta picture

Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.

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