Fiscal Flycatcher Melaenornis silens Scientific name definitions

17–20 cm; 21–37 g. Male nominate race has forehead, crown, lores, cheek, nape and upperparts black with bluish gloss, rump slightly greyer; upperwing black, marginal coverts white; outer eight primaries with white panel at base, increasing in size from P8 to P1; secondaries 3–6 with broad white wedge along most of outer web, narrowing towards tip; tertials narrowly tipped greyish-white; tail rounded, brownish-black, all feathers except central pair with white panel on basal half, increasing in size from T2 to T6; chin and throat greyish-white; breast, flanks and side of belly pale grey, centre of belly greyish-white, undertail-coverts white, fringed dark grey; underwing-coverts pearly grey, fringed white, axillaries white; iris dark brown; bill and legs black. Differs from all other African flycatchers in boldly pied plumage, with white in wings and tail. Female has upperparts dark grey-brown, underparts pale grey-brown, chin, throat, belly and undertail-coverts dirty white. Juvenile is dark grey-brown above, feathers tipped pale rufous-brown, white wingpanels smaller than adult’s, tail short, tipped buff, basal white panels much reduced, underparts mottled grey-brown and off-white, undertail-coverts off-white; immature like adult female, retains some juvenile spotting on upperwing-coverts. Race <em>lawsoni</em> has throat and breast side paler than nominate and tinged buff, particularly on female.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Open country with scattered trees, mainly in small, dense clumps of larger trees and thickets; readily occurs in alien trees, e.g. eucalypts (Eucalyptus) and introduced acacias (Acacia), and frequents parks and gardens , especially in non-breeding-season. Also in bushveld, coastal macchia (fynbos), thornveld with semi-arid scrub, and tree-lined watercourses in farmland.

Resident in parts of range, partial migrant elsewhere. In Botswana, resident around Lobatse, but exclusively non-breeding visitor (mostly Apr–Oct) farther N. In KwaZulu-Natal, moves from middle to low altitude in non-breeding season, when generally plentiful along coast. Also non-breeding altitudinal migrant in E lowveld, Swaziland and S Mozambique, Apr–Aug. Vagrant in Zimbabwe. Dispersal potential great; an individual in active flight 100 km out at sea did not appear tired and did not land on boat; ringed birds moved 30 km and 63 km. Some historical change in migration pattern in South Africa: before 1930 only a winter visitor to parts of Eastern Cape.

Mainly insects, including ants (Formicidae) and foraging harvester termites (Hodotermes mossambicus); also takes moths (Lepidoptera), grasshoppers (Orthoptera), bugs (Hemiptera) and earthworms (Lumbricidae); also eats small fruits of trees such as Halleria lucida, Cotoneaster and Euonymus, and nectar of Aloe. Occurs singly or in pairs, but up to ten congregate at fruiting trees in non-breeding-season. Forages from perch on top of bush or small tree, or at side of tree; usual perch 4 m high or more, occasionally down to 1 m, and telegraph wires, fences and aerials freely used. Flies to ground to settle and snatch prey, also hawks insects in flight; in studies, 74% of forays directed to ground, 26% in air. Prey eaten on ground or taken back to perch . Method of feeding on fruit not recorded.

Mostly silent; calls very quiet, audible only at close range. Song a long series of phrases made up of thin, high-pitched “tswee” and “sooo” notes interspersed with “trp” notes; sometimes (especially when not breeding) mimics other species, e.g. Cape Robin-chat (Dessonornis caffer), also House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), White-faced Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna viduata), Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), Common Bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus) and others. Alarm a sharp “skisk” or “kirr-kirr-kirr”.

Recorded in all months, but generally starts in Jul, peak Oct–Dec, and few records after Mar. Monogamous; solitary nester, territorial but not strongly so. Nest built by female only, a bulky bowl, usually shallow, sometimes deep, of twiglets, rootlets, dry grass, weed stems, stems of everlasting plant, thickly lined with plant down, fine grasses and a few feathers (in S Karoo, seedheads of the rubiaceous Galium tomentosum favoured), small pieces of lichen sometimes added to outside; rags and string often used in nests near human habitation; external diameter 11–13 cm, depth 6·5 cm, internal diameter 6·5 cm, depth 3·7 cm; usually well concealed in dense foliage, and strongly bound to supporting twigs on fork near end of branch, or placed on fork 1–7 m above ground within crown of tree or shrub, wattle trees (Acacia) favoured; sometimes placed at base of Aloe leaf or in vine clump. Clutch 2–4 eggs, usually 3, laid at daily intervals; incubation by female only, sometimes starting after first egg laid, sometimes on completion of clutch, period 13–16 days, usually 14 days; both parents feed nestlings (1 Sellschop, I. (2015). New-age dad —Fiscal Flycatchers. African BirdLife. 3(2): 72–73. Close ); nestling period 15–17 days; young fed after leaving nest, duration of care unknown. In various studies, 4·5% of 180 nests parasitized by Jacobin Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus); also a host of Red-chested Cuckoo (Cuculus solitarius). Nests apparently frequently preyed on. Maximum recorded longevity in ringing studies 9 years 9 months.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Widespread and common over most of its range; scarce in some non-breeding-season bushveld and lowveld habitats. S Mozambique population estimated at more than 1000 individuals; population density in suburban South Africa 3–5 birds/100 ha for most of year, rising to 10–15 birds/ha in May–Jul; in Swaziland lowveld, average year-round density 2·5 birds/100 ha, but absent in summer. Probably more numerous than historically owing to use of man-modified habitats, including those dominated by alien trees, especially in SW of range. Well represented in protected areas.