Spotted Flycatcher Life Cycle: Nest Building To Fledging (and everything in between)
Spotted Flycatchers are summer visitors to the UK and can be found distributed all across the British Isles apart from the extreme north and west of the UK. They winter 4,350 miles (7,000 km) away in Africa.
These medium sized birds have a brown-grey plumage, light grey underparts and fine dark stripes across their chest and forehead. They can often be spotted perched high up in parks, gardens, cemeteries and areas of woodland.
To find out more about these fascinating songbirds, keep reading.
Table of Contents
How Long Does A Spotted Flycatcher Live?
In the wild, a Spotted Flycatcher lives for around 2 years. They reach sexual maturity at around the age of 1 year and start to breed at that point.
There have been exceptional birds that have survived for 8 years according to ring records but these are rarities.
How Fast Can A Spotted Flycatcher Fly?
The Spotted Flycatcher has been recorded flying at speeds of up to 32.5 mph (52 km/h) which is around 14.6 metres per second.
These relatively high flying speeds for such a small bird is an example of how birds use wind speed and thermal currents in order to fly vast distances between their breeding grounds and winter grounds.
Are Spotted Flycatchers Aggressive?
Spotted Flycatchers are not generally aggressive birds. They prefer to perch quietly on a high branch waiting for flying insects that they can take for food in a calm and methodical manner.
They are almost shy in their demeanour and sit in an unobtrusive way just waiting for insects to fly past. Having said that, like many bird species, the Spotted Flycatcher can become territorial and display defensive behaviour.
This is often evident during the breeding season when they perceive that their nest or young are being threatened. This aggression is displayed by chasing intruders away who have strayed too close to the nesting site.
The aggression is limited to times when the Spotted Flycatchers feels it needs to protect their young and their nest and is not a personality trait.
What Is A Spotted Flycatcher’s Habitat?
The Spotted Flycatcher can be found in a variety of habitats including woodlands, farmlands as well as urban and suburban settings like parks, gardens, cemeteries and even towns and cities.
They breed across most of Europe and the palearctic all the way to Siberia. They spend their winters in Africa and southwestern Asia. WIth many migrating a staggering 4,350 miles (7,000 km) to and from their breeding and wintering grounds.
How Long Does It Take For A Spotted Flycatcher To Build A Nest?
It takes a Spotted Flycatcher around 3 to 7 days to build a nest and is dependent on suitable construction materials as well as the age and experience of the female. She chooses the nesting site which is typically in a sheltered spot like a tree branch, a crevice in a wall or the ledge of a building.
She constructs the nest from twigs, grass, roots, lichen, moss, feathers and other soft plant materials. In some cases, the male will help in finding materials but leaves the actual building of the nest to the female.
The nest is constructed in layers with the softer materials used as a lining to provide insulation and comfort for the eggs and chicks.
Eggs
Once she is satisfied with the construction of the nest, the female will move onto the next part in the reproductive cycle of the Spotted Flycatcher, the egg laying phase.
When Do Spotted Flycatchers Lay Eggs?
Spotted Flycatchers arrive in the UK around early to late April or even early May they then get on with nest construction and only then can they lay their eggs.
This means the Spotted Flycatcher can lay eggs any time between May and June depending on climatic conditions and the abundance of food available.
How Many Eggs Does A Spotted Flycatcher Lay?
The female will lay a clutch of around 4 to 6 eggs and will usually lay 2 broods per season. This means that in a good year she will lay a total of around 12 eggs.
An interesting fact about Spotted Flycatchers is they can distinguish between their own eggs and those of the Cuckoo. Unlike many European birds which have become unwitting hosts to Cuckoo eggs, the Spotted Flycatcher will remove any Cuckoo eggs from their nests.
This has led to many Cuckoos avoiding the nests of Spotted Flycatchers and targeting the nests of birds such as Dunnocks.
What Do Spotted Flycatcher Eggs Look Like?
The eggs of the Spotted Flycatcher are beige-buff coloured with brown or rusty red spots. They are around 19 x 14 mm in size and weigh around 1.9 grams.
How Long Do Spotted Flycatcher Eggs Take To Hatch?
The eggs are incubated solely by the female for 13 to 14 days. The male will bring her food whilst she is on the nest but typically takes no part in the incubation of the eggs.
Chicks
Once the incubation period is completed and the eggs hatch we move onto the next stage of development, the chicks.
How Many Chicks Does A Spotted Flycatcher Have?
The number of chicks should correspond to the number of eggs laid. However they tend to have an egg to chick survival rate of around 50 to 70%.
The survival rate is influenced by predation, adverse weather conditions, a lack of food and unfertilised eggs. This means that from a clutch of 6 eggs the pair are likely to raise 3 to 4 chicks.
When Do Spotted Flycatcher Chicks Open Their Eyes?
The chicks of Spotted Flycatchers typically open their eyes around 4 to 5 days after they hatch. Both parents are involved in bringing food for the chicks and keeping the nest clean.
Spotted Flycatcher chicks are altricial which means they are hatched with their eyes closed and they are also naked and rely on their parents for everything. The parents bring them food, regulate their temperature and generally keep the chicks safe.
When Do Spotted Flycatcher Chicks Fledge?
The chicks grow at a fast rate and are ready to leave the nest around 12 to 14 days after hatching. It’s at this point that the parents start on their second brood of the season.
SEE ALSO: Storm Petrel Diet and Size: Feeding Habits, Predators, and Measurements
Frequently Asked Questions
The average lifespan of a Spotted Flycatcher is around 2 years. However, there have been isolated cases of individual birds surviving for as long as 8 years according to ring records.
The eggs of the Spotted Flycatcher are beige-buff coloured with brown or rusty red spots and are around 19 x 14 mm in size and weigh around 1.9 grams.
Spotted Flycatchers typically have 1 to 2 broods per season. The clutch size is around 4 to 6 eggs per brood.
