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Bradornis
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Böhm's Flycatcher Bradornis boehmi Scientific name definitions

Barry Taylor
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2006

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Field Identification

13–14 cm. Has lores and side of forehead whitish, narrow creamy eyering; middle of forehead, crown, nape, hindneck, ear-coverts and neck side warm brown, finely streaked black; cheek brown, becoming white in moustachial area; narrow black malar stripe; mantle, scapulars and back warm brown, sometimes rufescent, sparsely streaked blackish; rump and uppertail-coverts light rufous-brown or grey-brown; primaries brown, edged buff, secondaries dark brown, edged rufous-brown, tertials and upperwing-coverts dark brown, broadly fringed rufous-buff; tail feathers darkish brown, fringed buff distally and rufous proximally; chin and throat white with a few small black triangles; breast white, heavily marked with black triangles, flanks buffy with diffuse brown streaks, belly to undertail-coverts white, washed buff; axillaries and underwing-coverts white, mottled buff-brown; iris dark brown; bill blackish-brown or black; legs dark grey. Easily distinguished from all other flycatchers by its warm brown upperparts and white underparts boldly marked with black triangles. Sexes alike. Juvenile is dark brown above, with large rufous or buff spots on head, mantle and upperwing-coverts, rufescent rump with dark bars, remiges and rectrices more broadly edged and tipped rufous-brown than adult, underparts white to greyish-white, heavily marked with blackish crescents (except on lower belly), legs pale grey; immature not properly described.

Systematics History

Previously treated within Muscicapa, but transferred to Bradornis based on recent genetic data (1). Sometimes isolated in genus Myopornis (or, erroneously, Bradyornis (1), which is merely an unjustified emendation and therefore junior objective synonym of Bradornis, and is anyway not applicable to present species in isolation). Monotypic.

Subspecies

Monotypic.

Distribution

C plateau of Angola, much of Zambia (largely absent in far N & S, and in Luangwa Valley), S & SE DRCongo (S Kasai, Katanga), W Malawi (Rumphi S to Mchinji) and SW Tanzania (Tabora SW to Ugalla Game Reserve).

Habitat

Brachystegia (miombo) woodland, usually the richer and better-developed types.

Movement

None recorded.

Diet and Foraging

Insects, including many black tree-ants (Formicidae). Occurs singly, in pairs or in family parties. Perches upright on branch and makes aerial flycatching sallies. Between flycatching forays sits almost motionless on branch for considerable periods; much less active than most congeners.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Song variable, main component “t’chee”, “tch-tee” or “sh-shee”, either repeated on its own several times or including brief cheerful warble; otherwise largely silent; chattering calls once heard from family party.

Breeding

Laying in Sept in DRCongo, Sept–Nov in Zambia and Oct in Malawi; spotted young in Oct in Angola, indicating laying early in rains (about Oct–Nov). Presumed monogamous. Uses old nest of weaver, including Olive-headed Weaver (Ploceus olivaceiceps), Chestnut-mantled Sparrow-weaver (Plocepasser rufoscapulatus) and Red-headed Weaver (Anaplectes rubriceps); only one described, a pad of vegetable down added inside nest of A. rubriceps at end of hanging branch in large Brachystegia tree. Clutch 3–4 eggs, usually 4; no information on incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Common in C Angola, and uncommon to quite common in DRCongo; generally sparse and local in Zambia, the main centre of its distribution, although apparently frequent in Mwinilunga. Present in Dzalanyama Forest Reseve (Malawi). In view of the widespread destruction and degradation of miombo woodland within this species’ range, its dependence on this habitat suggests that its numbers must be decreasing and its future may not be secure.
Distribution of the Böhm's Flycatcher - Range Map
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Distribution of the Böhm's Flycatcher

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Taylor, B. (2020). Böhm's Flycatcher (Bradornis boehmi), 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.boefly1.01
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