The swamp flycatcher or swamp alseonax is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. Its range stretches east across the Sudan (region) and south towards Zambia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrubland and swamps.
Region
East and Central Africa
Typical Environment
Found along swampy rivers, lakeshores, and marshes from the Sudan region and South Sudan through Uganda, western Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo south toward northern Zambia and western Tanzania. It is closely associated with papyrus beds, reedbeds, and flooded scrub. Birds keep to edges of open water, backwaters, and channels within extensive swamps. It tolerates seasonal water-level changes and will use man-made wetlands if emergent vegetation is present.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A plain, wetland-tied flycatcher, the swamp flycatcher is often overlooked until it gives its thin, sibilant calls from papyrus or reed edges. It hunts by sallying out from low, exposed perches over water to snap up insects, returning to the same perch repeatedly. Because it relies on intact swamps and marshy margins, its presence can indicate relatively healthy wetland habitat.
Swamp Flycatcher (Muscicapa aquatica), Janjanbureh, Gambia, December 2021
Temperament
quiet and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick sallies from a perch
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs holding linear territories along swamp edges. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low over water, anchored in reeds or sedges. Pairs are attentive to nest sites and often reuse favored perches for foraging.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Song is a soft, thin twitter interspersed with high, sibilant notes. Calls are sharp tsee or tsip notes given from exposed stems or during short sallies.
