The European pied flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. One of the four species of Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers, it hybridises to a limited extent with the collared flycatcher. It breeds in most of Europe and across the Western Palearctic. It is migratory, wintering mainly in tropical Africa. It usually builds its nests in holes on oak trees. This species practices polygyny, usually bigamy, with the male travelling large distances to acquire a second mate. The male will mate with the secondary female and then return to the primary female in order to help with aspects of child rearing, such as feeding.
Region
Western Palearctic
Typical Environment
Breeds widely across most of Europe and into western Siberia in deciduous and mixed woodlands, especially oak forests. It readily uses nest boxes in parks, gardens, and forest edges. During the non-breeding season it migrates to tropical West and Central Africa, favouring wooded savannas, gallery forests, and secondary growth. It prefers semi-open habitats with a good supply of perches for sallying and a rich insect fauna.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Males arrive first on the breeding grounds to secure nest holes, often competing with tits for tree cavities and nest boxes. This species is known for polygyny, with some males attracting a secondary mate at a distant territory. It performs agile aerial sallies from perches to snatch insects mid-flight. Limited hybridisation occurs with collared flycatchers where ranges overlap.
Adult female in Slovenia.
Polygyny threshold model graph
Adult male in Finland
Adult female in Finland
Adult female at the Kochelsee, Schlehdorf, Germany
Male flycatcher returning to nest
Pied flycatcher chicks
Female in a nestbox in Finland
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with agile sallying
Social Behavior
Pairs form on the breeding grounds, nesting in natural tree cavities or nest boxes lined with leaves and grass. Males defend territories vigorously; polygyny (often bigamy) occurs when a male establishes a second territory nearby. Both parents may feed the young, though the primary female receives more assistance from polygynous males.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Male song is a cheerful, varied warble of short phrases, trills, and whistles delivered from prominent perches. Calls include sharp tics and soft rattles, with alarm notes given near the nest.
