SMALL BROWN FLYCATCHERS: Small and nondescript but common flycatchers that hunt from low BLUE-GREY FLYCATCHERS: Subtropical flycatchers with similar blue-grey plumage but very different lookout points. Spotted is a widespread non-br. migrant to virtually any habitat (but especially open foraging strategies: Ashy hawks at mid-levels or canopy edge in moist woodland and at forest woodland). Dusky prefers forest clearings and edges, riverine woodland, plantations and shady gardens. fringes; Grey Tit-Flycatcher gleans insects inside tree canopies in woodland, bushveld and riverine bush. African Dusky Flycatcher Ashy Flycatcher Grey Tit-Flycatcher striata (Europese Vlieëvanger) Muscicapa adusta (Donkervlieëvanger) Muscicapa caerulescens (Blougrysvlieëvanger) Myioparus plumbeus (Waaierstertvlieëvanger) L: 13-15 cm M: 13-(16)-21 g L: 12-13 cm M: 10-(12)-14 g L: 14-15 cm M: 12-(16)-19 g 3 L: 13-14 cm M: 11-(12)-13 g 4 3 [Races overlap: M. s. striata; [1: M. a. adusta; 2: M. a. fus­ 3 [1: M. c. caerulescens; 2: M. c. [1: M. p. catoleucum; 2: M. p. 1 M. s. neumanni; M. s. balea­ cula; 3: M. a. subadusta; 4: vulturna; 3: M. c. impavida]. orientalis]. A dainty warbler- 2 1 rica; M. s. sarudnyi; M. s. inex­ M. a. mesica]. Smallest and An inconspicuous but rather 2 like species. Blue-grey plumage 1 pectata]. A slim, elongated, cutest flycatcher, with a dumpy tame flycatcher with attractive recalls Ashy, but hunting strat- streamlined, upright LBJ. Wings body, large domed head and blue-grey plumage. It spends egy different: actively searches very long (migratory). Except short wings (resident). Crown 2 much time watching quietly for prey inside of canopy, often for streaked crown and breast, almost plain; breast smudged. 1 from a secluded, shady vantage 1 waving black, white-edged tail. lacks obvious features; best Quietly waits on a low perch, point, hawking passing insects Usually located by its trembling identified by shape and wing catching insects in flight or on in flight, usually just below the telephone-like song, but easily flicking. Common in open the ground; often calls from canopy or between 2 trees. overlooked if silent. habitats, Oct-Apr. canopy. Does not flick flight dashing, relatively ad. ad impavida swoops & dives long, swooping & wings as often as short wings .  ad. catoleucum tail often adult adusta Chobe, Bot between trees tapering agile; may Spotted does. & tail, but still Shakawe, Bot spread in striata Tzaneen, no or from branch  wings hover briefly agile in flight flight Maun, Bot Lim white to branch inside canopy

waits unobtrusively on a 1-3 m conspicuous high perch, idly flicking tail, then extensive white corners delicate small, strong, typical swoops out to catch a flying extensive golden or golden buff and sides when spiky flycatcher bill with an audible bill- buffy white spots spots tail spread bill snap; upon landing flicks wings quickly tiny bill

scaly or barred scaly below imm. short juv striata  .  legs and orientalis Brits, NW weak feet trio waiting juv. vulturna Mkuze, KZN juv. for passing Skukuza, MP frequently adusta short legs, insects waves and Knysna, weak feet WC fans tail while foraging 'spotted' juv. plumage grey moulted before reaching often darker lores essentially black lores; lores Southern , but may streaked crown and more distinct unstreaked broken white retain buff-tipped coverts pale eyebrow/eye- crown large, eye-ring domed ring than Spotted blue-grey head plain greyish plain dark soft, pastel grey-brown brown diffusely blue-grey streaked pale edges in (may look long, dark, fan- fresh plumage looks distinctly often sits plain) short-winged adult shaped tail upright with caerulescens (resident or soft, dark head cocked Durban, KZN looks distinctly greyish short-distance grey-brown to the side long-winged white migrant only) smudges (migratory) below darker below no white adult short, than Spotted in tail adult neumanni narrow catoleucum Masvingo, Zim tail Pilanesberg, NW ad. fuscula white Kosi Bay, KZN briefly flicks identifiable by identifiable by shape: forages actively but wings when landing shape: elongated, robustly built: less dainty looks 'cute' with compact, slim and rather unobtrusively by gleaning (a habit shared with e.g. slender, streamlined; smallest than Grey Tit-Flycatcher, less dumpy body, large head and delicate in build; in canopy; rarely flycatches inside Familiar Chat, p. 134) slim lower body flycatcher elongated than Spotted and less short wings and tail carriage horizontal canopy too (if space allows) dumpy than African Dusky

154  FLYCATCHERS FLYCATCHERS  155