Restless Flycatcher

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Restless Flycatcher
Restless flycatcher in flight
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Monarchidae
Genus: Myiagra
Species: M. inquieta
Binomial name
Myiagra inquieta
(Latham, 1802)

The Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta) is a passerine bird in the family Monarchidae.

Photographed at Dayboro, SE Queensland, Australia

Also known colloquially as Razor Grinder,[2] Scissors Grinder or Dishwasher on account of its unusual call,[3] the Restless Flycatcher was first described by ornithologist John Latham in 1802. Its specific epithet is derived from the Latin inquietus 'restless'.[4] Populations from northern Australia and New Guinea, formerly considered a distinctive subspecies, are now separated as the Paperbark Flycatcher (Myiagra nana), with which it forms a superspecies.[5][6]

It is found in southern and eastern Australia. It is about 20 cm (8 in) long, with a glossy dark blue crown, a grey back and white underparts. It is similar to the Willie Wagtail, though the lack of a black throat and white eyebrow are distinguishing features. Its main food is insects.

This bird builds a cup-shaped nest from shredded bark and grasses, matted and bound with spider-webbing. Linings used are soft bark, grasses, hair or feathers. It is often decorated with lichen, strips of bark or spiders' egg sacs. The nest site is in the fork of a well-foliaged tree mostly near or overhanging water, though it can be up to twenty or more metres above the ground.[7]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ IUCN Red List 2012.
  2. ↑ "Some Familiar Birds.". The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) (Qld.: National Library of Australia). 10 September 1879. p. 3. Retrieved 9 August 2013. 
  3. ↑ Boles 1988, p. 349.
  4. ↑ Simpson 1979, p. 883.
  5. ↑ Schodde & Mason 1999, pp. 518–519.
  6. ↑ Christidis & Boles 2008, p. 200.
  7. ↑ Beruldsen 2003, p. 369.
References
Cited texts
  • Beruldsen, Gordon (2003). Australian Birds: Their Nests and Eggs (revised ed.). Kenmore Hills, Qld: self. ISBN 978-0-646-42798-0. OCLC 615122047. 
  • Boles, Walter E. (1988). The Robins and Flycatchers of Australia. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. ISBN 978-0-207-15400-3. OCLC 59196420. 
  • Christidis, Les; Boles, Walter (2008). Systematics and taxonomy of Australian birds. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 978-0-643-06511-6. OCLC 488685950. Retrieved 2011-05-25. 
  • Schodde, Richard; Mason, Ian J. (1999). The Directory of Australian Birds: Passerines. Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing. ISBN 978-0-643-06456-0. OCLC 499953986. 
  • Simpson, D. P. (1979). Cassell's Latin Dictionary (5 ed.). London: Cassell Ltd. ISBN 978-0-304-52257-6. OCLC 7260402. 
Restless flycatcher
Contrary to their name, Restless flycatchers do not only eat flies. Here, one is pictured with a huntsman spider.

External links

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