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| Photo by Lip Kee Yap (Wikipedia) |
Common name:
restless flycatcher (en); monarca-inquieto (pt); monarque infatigable (fr); monarca inquieto (es); weißkehlmyiagra (de)
Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Monarchidae
Range:
This species is found northern and eastern mainland Australia, as well as in south-western Australia. It is also found in southern Papua New Guinea.
Size:
These birds are 16-21 cm long and weigh about 20 g.
Habitat:
The restless flycatcher is found in open tropical and temperate forests, dry savannas, dry scrublands and rural gardens.
Diet:
They hawk insects, spiders and centipedes from perches in the mid-level of the canopy.
Breeding:
Restless flycatchers breed in July-March. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a small cup made of bark and grass bound with spider webs, camouflaged with pieces of lichen and bark, and placed in a exposed position on a tree branch, often near or over water. There the female lays 3-4 eggs which are incubated by both sexes for 14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge about 14 days after hatching. Each pair can raise up to 3 broods per season.
Conservation:
IUCN status – LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be locally fairly common. The population is estimated to be in decline following local decreases and range contractions probably owing to intensive farming and habitat modification
