The satin flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. Males stand out with their blue-black feathers contrasting their white bellies, and the females with their bright orange throats. It breeds mostly in south-eastern Tasmania and Australia. It is declining throughout the eastern seaboard due to predation from the introduced Red Fox and habitat loss. It is a vagrant to New Zealand.
Region
Australasia
Typical Environment
Breeds in temperate forests of southeastern Australia, including Victoria, New South Wales, the ACT, and Tasmania. Outside the breeding season it moves to warmer parts of eastern and northern Australia and occasionally to nearby islands. It favors tall eucalypt forests, wet sclerophyll and riparian woodlands, and well-vegetated gullies. Birds may also appear along forest edges and in larger parks and gardens near water during migration.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Males have a distinctive glossy blue-black 'satin' sheen contrasting with clean white underparts, while females show a warm rufous-orange throat and greyer-brown upperparts. It breeds mainly in southeastern Australia and Tasmania and migrates north after breeding; occasional vagrants reach New Zealand. Populations are affected by habitat loss, fragmentation, and nest predation; brood parasitism by cuckoos is also reported in parts of its range.
Temperament
active and somewhat secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with frequent sallying from perches
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs during the breeding season, defending small territories. Pairs build neat, cup-shaped nests saddled on horizontal branches, often over or near water. Both adults contribute to feeding the young.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Song is a series of clear, thin whistles and short musical phrases, often descending in pitch. Calls include sharp ‘zeet’ or ‘sip’ notes given during foraging and contact.
Plumage
Male with glossy blue-black upperparts and head with crisp white underparts; female grey-brown above with pale underparts and a distinct rufous to orange throat and upper breast. Both sexes have a short, broad bill and fine feathering around the bill base typical of flycatchers.
Diet
Primarily takes flying insects such as flies, beetles, wasps, moths, and other small arthropods. It often sallies out from an open perch to snatch prey in the air, and will also glean from foliage. Occasional small berries may be taken, but insects dominate the diet.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the mid to upper canopy of eucalypt forests and along riparian corridors. Frequently uses forest edges, clearings, and gaps where aerial insects are abundant.
