Fairy Flycatcher / Feevlieëvanger Recently seen in Smithfield
Posted by smithfieldbirding on 21 September, 2011
Photo Lynden Lund
This tiny little Smithfield garden visitor was rescued, none the worse for wear, out of the jaws of certain feline death.
The Fairy Flycatcher breeds mostly in the Karoo and Lesotho Highlands, but in winter tends to migrate to the lower regions and is found over a wide range from the Western Cape to Zimbabwe and Maputo. Except when breeding, it is usually solitary and its habitat can vary from grasslands and thornbush to exotic plantations, and gardens. While breeding, it prefers karoo scrub and bushy hillsides where the female quickly builds a small cup-shaped nest sometimes as low as 20 cm above the ground, well camouflaged amongst fallen branches and drifted debris.
Only 12 cm long and weighing 9 grams at most, this restless little forager feeds on small insects it finds on leaves and twigs. It has a habit of drooping its wings and flirting its tail. Although it might be confused with a Batis, the Fairy Flycatcher’s tail is longer. In colouring, the tail is black edged and tipped with white, the body is blue-grey above with a black facemask, white eyebrows, black wings with a conspicuous white stripe, soft blue-grey breast, white underparts, and tinged salmon pink on the throat and upper belly. The narrow bill, legs and feet are black.
The call of such a tiny bird – as can be expected – is a thin, squeaky tsee-tsi-zee tseepy-tsweeu, tseepy-zzzzz, something like a Sunbird, or a sibilant kisskisskiss.
Although quite common, the Fairy Flycatcher is difficult to photograph because it is constantly flitting around. In the photo above however, as the saying goes, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
