1 AUSTRALIAN FIELD ORNITHOLOGY 2011, 28, 1–12 Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands NEVILLE B. PAMMENT and MARJORIE E. PEGLER P.O. Box 336, Daylesford, Victoria 3460 (Email:
[email protected]) Summary A Dark-sided Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica was observed and photographed on Home Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, on 6–7 November 2008. Its identification was based on its compact shape, its very dark, diffusely streaked breast and flanks, its wing-length and primary projection, its short bill with concave sides, prominent white half-collar, asymmetrical eye- ring and other features. The field marks which distinguish this species from similar-looking Muscicapa flycatchers are discussed. This is the first record of this species for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the second (and first photographic) record for Australian territory (Birds Australia Rarities Committee Case no. 593). Introduction Home Island (12°07′S, 96°54′E, area 0.95 km2) is part of the Australian External Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the home of the Cocos Malay population. Apart from housing and domestic gardens, the island is largely covered with introduced Coconut Palms Cocos nucifera, the native vegetation having been almost entirely removed in the nineteenth century (Bunce 1988). A striking feature of all of the islands of the Cocos (Keeling) Group is the near-complete absence of passerines, the only current breeding species being the introduced Christmas Island White-eye Zosterops natalis, which occurs only on Horsburgh Island and the remote North Keeling Island. Other than the Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica, which is a regular non-breeding visitor (Higgins et al.