European Pied Flycatcher

Seen one? Add it to your free UK BirdedexHear its song and see the mapFree, no app download. Uncommon bird: +3 points when you log it.

Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Western oakwoods (summer).
Diet: Insects.
Best time to spot: Black-and-white male; uses nest boxes.

When to look

A summer visitor, typically in the UK from April to August. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The European Pied Flycatcher sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is Amber-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the middle level of concern in the UK.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Collared FlycatcherEpic · Mature trees (very rare)
• Mugimaki FlycatcherLegendary · Coastal trees (extreme vagrant)
• Red-breasted FlycatcherRare · Coastal scrub (autumn)
• Taiga FlycatcherLegendary · Coastal scrub (very rare)
• Common RedstartUncommon · Western oakwoods (summer)
• Common Reed WarblerUncommon · Reedbeds (summer)

Kit that helps

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