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 - Furtive Flycatcher
 - Furtive Flycatcher
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Furtive Flycatcher Ficedula disposita Scientific name definitions

Peter Clement
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2006

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Field Identification

11–11·5 cm. Small olive-brown forest flycatcher with distinctive tail pattern. Has forehead to nape olive-brown, becoming greyish-brown on upperparts; uppertail-coverts and central tail feathers dark rufous, outer tail feathers pale orange-rufous on basal half, broadly tipped dark brown; upperwing-coverts as upperparts, but tips of greater coverts buff or rufous-buff (forming short wingbar), edges of tertials and inner secondaries buffish; face paler than crown, with grey or greyish-brown lores and eyering surrounding large dark eye; chin and throat whitish, indistinct olive-greyish breastband, white belly to undertail-coverts; iris dark brown; upper mandible dark horn, lower mandible paler with greyish base; legs greyish-pink. Differs from female of F. hyperythra in warmer rufous-brown (not greyish-brown) upperparts, orange-rufous at base of tail, and olive-grey (not orange) breastband. Sexes alike. Juvenile is as adult, but wing-coverts broadly edged and tipped orange-rufous.

Systematics History

Previously considered conspecific with F. crypta and, often, with F. bonthaina, but differences significant; prior to 1991 was known only from a single female. Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

Luzon, in N Philippines.

Habitat

Lowland dense secondary-growth forest, including degraded and selectively logged areas with bamboo, usually below 700 m.

Movement

Resident.

Diet and Foraging

Diet not well known; includes small invertebrates. Usually solitary or in pairs; secretive and easily overlooked. Forages in dense undergrowth, usually within 5 m of the ground; favours climbing bamboo. Also sits motionless for long periods, before making occasional short dashing flights.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song a quiet, high-pitched 2-note or 3-note whistle, middle note higher-pitched, “wau he” or “wauhe hu” or variations such as “he-u-heee”, repeated at short intervals, often for several minutes. Calls include sharp “zeet zeet”, given repeatedly.

Breeding

Birds in breeding condition and recently fledged juvenile in May. No other information.
Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near-threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Luzon EBA. Locally common or rare within very small global range. Formerly found only in Zambales Mts (W Luzon) and in N Sierra Madre Mts (NE Luzon); recently found to be more widely distributed in EC part of the island, in S Sierra Madre Mts, including along main coastal road between Baler and Dinalongan (in Aurora). Continuing forest clearance in Zambales Mts and around Angat Dam a potential threat, but this species seems to survive in degraded forest and in selectively logged forest.
Distribution of the Furtive Flycatcher - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Furtive Flycatcher

Recommended Citation

Clement, P. (2020). Furtive Flycatcher (Ficedula disposita), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.furfly1.01
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