Fiscal Flycatcher Pammelaina and Marico M

350 Muscicapidae: flycatchers and batises & Robson 1980). In the Free State, lawsoni is said to be resident (Earlé & Grobler 1987). However, there are also altitudinal movements, possibly more so in the subspecies lawsoni, and most clearly visible at the edge of the range. In KwaZulu-Natal, Clancey (1964b) noted it to be plentiful on the coast in winter and it is present in Umfolozi Game Reserve (2831B) only in winter (Cyrus & Robson 1980; Macdonald & Birkenstock 1980), often in abundance. Altitudinal migration also occurs in the eastern Transvaal (Tarboton et al. 1987b) where the species is present in the lowveld only in winter; these winter movements extend into Swaziland (Parker 1994) and Mozambique (Maclean 1993b). At Barberspan (2625DA), the resident population is supplemented by winter migrants (Farkas 1962), presumably from the highveld. Except for some breeding in extreme southeastern Botswana, it is a winter migrant to that country primarily between late April and early October (Herremans 1994d), with birds moving a con- siderable distance into the Kalahari sandveld (Zone 2), and extend- ing occasionally as far north as Orapa (2125A) (Penry 1994) and Nata (2026A) (Bishop et al. 1992), apparently more so during drought years (Brewster 1992b). Breeding: Breeding begins in July, peaking October–Decem- ber, with a tail of records after March. There were some atlas records in every month of the year. The timing is the same throughout the range, including the winter-rainfall region. Interspecific relationships: The Fiscal, Black Melaenornis Fiscal Flycatcher pammelaina and Marico M. mariquensis Flycatchers are all Fiskaalvlieëvanger ‘pouncers’ (Fraser 1983). They are mostly geographically separated, the Fiscal having primarily southern, the Black eastern and Sigelus silens northern, and the Marico central and northwestern ranges. The Fiscal is most similar in feeding ecology to Black Flycatcher The Fiscal Flycatcher is endemic to southern Africa, and the (Fraser 1983), and their core distributions are non-overlapping. greater part of its range is in South Africa. It is common and wide- The Fiscal Flycatcher is also similar in feeding behaviour and spread, but there are definite gaps in its distribution. It is largely plumage to the Fiscal Shrike Lanius collaris, with which it over- absent from the western desert and the driest parts of the Karoo laps widely. The similarity in plumage could be adaptive mim- and Kalahari, and from the Lesotho highlands and adjacent cool, icry (Hockey et al. 1989; Herremans 1992a). treeless grasslands. Historical distribution and conservation: Prozesky Two subspecies are recognized (Clancey 1980b) and both have (1963) reported it from Sandwich Harbour (2314AD) and the somewhat separated core distributions: S. s. lawsoni occurs in the Kuiseb (2315) in Namibia; it was not confirmed there sub- dry interior from the northern Cape Province to the western Trans- sequently and the records could be in error. The historical distri- vaal, while the more coastal nominate race has a stronghold in the bution is probably little different from the present, although the southern and eastern Cape Province. Fiscal Flycatcher was probably able to expand its range and num- It can be confused with the Fiscal Shrike Lanius collaris, but bers in several areas when it started using plantations of alien differs in behaviour as well as morphology, so we can assume that trees. It is common and under no threat. atlas records are reasonably accurate. Habitat: It was most frequently reported from the Sweet D.N. Johnson and M. Herremans Grasslands, Valley Bushveld, the southern part of the Central Kalahari in the northern Cape Province, Fynbos, Grassy Karoo Recorded in 1384 grid cells, 30.5% and Nama Karoo biomes. The low reporting rates from the true Total number of records: 30 127 woodland biomes indicate that it likes fairly open vegetation, with Mean reporting rate for range: 29.5% trees or intermittent scrub upon which to perch (Skead 1967b). Watercourses are used in drier areas (Winterbottom & Winter- bottom 1984). Alien trees in gardens suffice where other perches Reporting rates for vegetation types are absent (Kieser & Kieser 1978), especially in the nonbreeding % 02550 season. It is notable that on the highveld it is common where the human population is dense, but not in the rural parts where there Sweet Grasslands 46.8 are few trees. Valley Bushveld 44.4 Movements: There is a well-defined winter peak and lower Central Kalahari 42.7 reporting rates during, and especially just after, breeding. This can Fynbos 40.0 be attributed to greater conspicuousness when it is not breeding Grassy Karoo 38.6 and disperses to more open habitat and is more likely to use Nama Karoo 31.6 gardens; conversely, it keeps a lower profile during post-breed- Mixed Grasslands 22.3 ing moult. Sour Grasslands 21.6 The seasonal maps show it to be resident in parts of its range, Moist Woodland 17.0 but a partial migrant in others. The nominate race in particular is Succulent Karoo 15.4 usually considered to be resident in the southern coastal areas, e.g. East Coast Littoral 10.7 in the southwestern Cape Province (Hockey et al. 1989), the Arid Woodland 5.6 southern Karoo (Collett 1982) and western KwaZulu-Natal (Cyrus Southern Kalahari 4.4 Muscicapidae: flycatchers and batises 351 14˚ FISCAL FLYCATCHER 5 1 18˚ 22˚ 2 6 26˚ 3 7 30˚ Reporting rate (%) > 39.9 14.3 — 39.9 2.0 — 14.2 < 2.0 34˚ 4 8 18˚ 22˚ 26˚ 14˚ 30˚ 10˚ 34˚ 40 1 5 20 20 10 40 2 6 20 20 10 40 3 7 20 20 10 Occurrence reporting rate (%) 40 4 8 20 Breeding reporting rate (%) 20 10 J ASONDJ FMAMJ J ASONDJ FMAMJ Models of seasonality for Zones. Number of records (top to bottom, left to right): Occurrence: 0, 27, 753, 2770, 0, 878, 3652, 2030; Breeding: 0, 0, 55, 303, 0, 82, 210, 110. 352 Muscicapidae: flycatchers and batises FISCAL FLYCATCHER JAN — FEB JUL — AUG MAR — APR SEP — OCT MAY — JUN NOV — DEC Reporting rate (%) > 40.9 15.6 — 40.9 2.0 — 15.5 < 2.0 Seasonal distribution maps; one-degree grid..

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