The taiga flycatcher or red-throated flycatcher is a migratory bird in the family Muscicapidae. The species was first described by Peter Simon Pallas in 1811. The female has brown upper parts with a blackish tail flanked by white. The breast is buffish with underparts mostly white. The male has ear coverts and sides of the neck blue-tinged grey with breeding males having orange-red coloration on the throats. Unlike the taiga flycatcher, the female of the similar red-breasted flycatcher has a brown tail while the red colour in breeding males extends to the breast in the red-breasted flycatcher. It breeds in northern Eurasia from eastern Russia to Siberia and Mongolia. It is a winter visitor to South and South-east Asia in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, and Japan. Its natural habitat is taiga forest. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe.
Region
Northern Eurasia (breeding); South and Southeast Asia (wintering)
Typical Environment
Breeds widely across the boreal (taiga) forests of eastern Russia, Siberia, and Mongolia. In winter it migrates to South and Southeast Asia, including the Himalayan foothills and lowlands of the Indian subcontinent and Indochina, as well as southern China and parts of Malaysia and Thailand. Prefers coniferous and mixed woodland with clearings and forest edges in the breeding season. In winter it frequents secondary growth, parks, gardens, wooded streamsides, and mangroves. Often occurs along trails, forest margins, and lightly wooded farmland.
Altitude Range
0–2500 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The taiga flycatcher, also called the red-throated flycatcher, breeds across the Siberian taiga and winters in South and Southeast Asia. Males in breeding plumage show a neat orange-red throat patch, while females are plainer with white tail sides that help separate them from similar species. It readily uses natural cavities and nest boxes in its breeding range. The species is a regular winter visitor to parks and gardens in tropical Asia, where it often flicks its tail and sallies for insects.
Temperament
shy and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with frequent sallies
Social Behavior
Generally solitary or in loose association in winter, often maintaining small feeding territories. During breeding it is territorial, with pairs nesting in tree cavities, holes, or nest boxes lined with fine plant material. Both parents feed the young. Outside breeding, it may join mixed-species foraging flocks.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Male gives a soft, sweet, and somewhat hurried warble with thin, clear notes. Calls include a sharp, dry ‘tik’ and a softer ‘trrt’ rattle when alarmed. Song is most frequent at dawn during the breeding season.
