Taiga flycatcher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Taiga flycatcher |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Ficedula
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| Species: |
albicilla
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| Synonyms | |
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The Taiga Flycatcher (Ficedula albicilla) is a small bird. It is also known as the Red-throated Flycatcher. This bird belongs to the Muscicapidae family, which includes many types of flycatchers.
These birds are migratory. This means they travel long distances between their breeding grounds and their winter homes. Peter Simon Pallas first described this species in 1811.
What Does It Look Like?
The female Taiga Flycatcher has brown feathers on its back. Its tail is blackish with white on the sides. Its chest is a light brownish color, and its belly is mostly white.
Male Taiga Flycatchers look a bit different. They have blue-grey feathers around their ears and on the sides of their neck. During breeding season, males get bright orange-red feathers on their throats.
The Taiga Flycatcher looks similar to the red-breasted flycatcher. However, the female Red-breasted Flycatcher has a brown tail. Also, the red color on breeding male Red-breasted Flycatchers spreads further down their chest.
Where Does It Live?
Taiga Flycatchers breed in the northern parts of Eurasia. This includes eastern Russia, Siberia, and Mongolia.
When winter comes, they fly south to warmer places. They spend winter in South and Southeast Asia. You can find them in countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, and Japan.
Their natural home is the taiga forest. This type of forest has many conifer trees like pines and spruces. Sometimes, a Taiga Flycatcher might fly off course. It can be seen rarely in western Europe.
Its Name's Story
The scientific name for the Taiga Flycatcher is Ficedula albicilla. The first part, Ficedula, comes from Latin. It refers to a small bird that eats figs. People once thought this bird changed into a blackcap in winter.
The second part, albicilla, also comes from Latin. Albus means white, and cilla means tail. So, albicilla means "white-tailed." This part of the name came from a misunderstanding of the word motacilla, which is the name for a wagtail.
Gallery
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A Taiga Flycatcher in Sindhrot, Gujarat, India
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A Taiga Flycatcher in Chandigarh, India
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In Madobpur Lake, Shylet, Bangladesh
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In Hyderabad, Telangana, India
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A male Taiga Flycatcher
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A female Taiga Flycatcher
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In Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park (near Jhor), Nepal
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Taiga Flycatcher Kolkata.jpg
Taiga Flycatcher at Rabindra Sarobar, Kolkata
_at_Sindhrot_near_Vadodara,_Gujrat_Pix_112.jpg)
