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Plumage of the adult female Little Pied Flycatcher

on 27th February 2012

“Saw a pair of Little Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula westermanni westermanni) come to this tree. I only spotted the female feeding on the fruit… This is the best I have seen this lovely birds and would like to make some comments on the female’s plumage:

1. The crown, nape and mantel are generally described as ‘greyish’ or ‘dull grey’ in guides, but note that here (in good light) it is rather ‘blue/purple-grey’ (above left).

2. This initially threw me off and I considered the Ultramarine Flycatcher (F. superciliaris) (not known to winter in our region), but the presence of the partner (unmistakable, posting cm) and clear brown on the upper tail coverts makes the ID sure (above right).

3. Also note the fine bars on the forehead which I have seen in the females but not mentioned in guides.

“Images of the adult male partner of the female (above)… I never realised the white supercilium has ‘raised’ feathers (above right).”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
1,600m ASL, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
A public road along primary montane forest
20th December 2011

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

One Response

  1. nice details, ya, sometimes guides don’t describe the plumage to be too detailed as many features are probably not helpful and not visible in the field most of the time. We also previously noticed that a juvenile Long-tailed Shrike will show such crown pattern of small scaly-wavy patterns only observable by scope (due to distance), from far, it looked much like the standard adult.

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