The Marico flycatcher or Mariqua flycatcher is a passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae that is found in areas of southern Africa.
Region
Southern Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs widely across dry savannas and thorn scrub of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and northern South Africa. It favors open woodland with scattered trees and bushes, especially acacia and mopane, and is common around farms and along watercourses in otherwise arid landscapes. The species is generally sedentary, with some local movements following food availability after rains.
Altitude Range
300–1800 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named after South Africa’s Marico (Mariqua) region, this flycatcher is well adapted to dry savanna and thornveld. It often hunts from fences, bushes, or low branches, sallying out to catch insects before returning to the same perch. Pairs defend territories during breeding and build neat cup nests in shrubs or trees.
Temperament
alert and perch-oriented
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick sallies from a perch
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, defending small territories in the breeding season. Builds a neat cup-shaped nest in a shrub or tree; clutch is typically 2–3 eggs. Both parents participate in feeding the young, and small family groups may persist after fledging.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a soft, simple series of thin whistles and trills delivered from an exposed perch. Calls include sharp tseep notes and dry chacks used in contact and alarm.
Plumage
Plain sandy to grey-brown upperparts with paler, off-white underparts and fine streaking on the throat and upper breast. Wings are dusky with subtle pale edging; tail is brown with slightly paler edges. Overall appearance is clean and unmarked, with a modestly streaked front.
Diet
Primarily hunts flying and ground-dwelling insects such as beetles, termites (often at eruptions), moths, and ants; also takes spiders. Forages by sallying from exposed perches to snatch prey in the air or dropping to the ground to pounce. Occasionally gleans from foliage and branches when insect activity is high.
Preferred Environment
Feeds along woodland edges, thornveld, and open savanna with scattered bushes and fence lines that provide vantage perches. Frequently uses human-made perches such as wires and poles near farms or water points.
