Category Archives: Flycatcher
My first Restless Flycatcher
I rather like the background that this bird chose for its portrait! This is my first sighting of a Restless Flycatcher, and only my second of any type of Flycatcher. (The first was a Leaden Flycatcher that I saw at Manly North Head, much closer to home than this sighting.)
I watched this bird for a while. It was quite shy, moving often, and managing always to keep a fair distance away from me. I guess that’s why it’s called “restless”. It’s a neat-looking bird, with a blue-black head and back, brownish tips to the wings, and a white breast and belly:
Common name: Restless Flycatcher
Scientific name: Myiagra inquieta
Approximate length: 16-21 cm
Date spotted: 22 July 2026 (winter)
Location: Nyngan Riverside Tourist Park, New South Wales, Australia: 31°33’33.1″S 147°10’51.7″E
My first Leaden Flycatcher
I spotted an interesting bird at Manly North Head a few days ago. It had prominent whiskers (actually, they’re rictal bristles), a chestnut breast and white belly, and large eyes:
Was it a Spectacled Monarch? A Rufous Whistler? Maybe a female Flame Robin or Scarlet Robin? Eventually I asked the Australian Birds community on Reddit and received a likely identification: a female Leaden Flycatcher. This is a first sighting for me!
Leaden Flycatchers are common in north eastern Australia. They migrate southwards in the summer, but are uncommon in the south east where I am.
The whiskers around the beak are actually rictal bristles. They’re feathers that are modified to be sensors, helping the bird capture flying insects. After all, the bird has to earn its name, “flycatcher”!
Unfortunately, it was early morning and the bird was silhouetted against the sky, so I couldn’t get a good photo. These are the best I have.
Here’s another shot of the front of the bird:
Common name: Leaden Flycatcher
Scientific name: Myiagra rubecula
Approximate length: 15-16 cm
Date spotted: 9 October 2025 (spring)
Location: Manly North Head, Sydney Harbour National Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°48’58.5″S 151°17’56.6″E
Sydney Birder 