サメビタキ属 / Muscicapa

In the slightly cooler mornings, the athletic park is now bustling with autumn migration. Birds of the genus muscicapa fly out from all over the grove of trees facing the park, looking for insects.

The three species, Siberian Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, and Grey-streaked Flycatcher, are easily encountered in similar places. All of them have their own illustrated characteristics, but when you actually photograph them, the differences are sometimes surprisingly subtle and confusing, depending on the individual, the light, and the angle of the shot. For the identification of the muscicapa, I referred to the explanations provided by the Osaka Nanko Wild Bird Park in addition to the illustrated books I have.

This is an Asian Brown Flycatcher. Judging from the thick and clear eye-ring, the pale spots from the breast to the sides, and the absence of dark spots on the lower tailpipe. The tip of the eye is usually considered whitish, but it is not so white.

The clear vertical spots from the breast to the side of the body suggest that this is a Grey-streaked Flycatcher, but since it is said that some Siberian Flycatchers also have clear vertical spots, I will examine other characteristics in the next photo.

Different angles of the same individual side by side. The eye ring is narrow. The Grey-streaked Flycatcher is indistinct, the Siberian Flycatcher is distinct, and the one in the photo may be indistinct. The tip of the eye is difficult to see from this angle. The space between the jaw line and cheek line is obscured in the left photo, but is relatively bright and clearly visible in the middle photo. The dark spots on the lower tail tube, which are characteristic of the Siberian Flycatcher, are not visible. In the last photo on the right, the upper surface has a strong brownish tinge, making it look like a Grey-streaked Flycatcher.

From the above, I concluded that it was probably a Grey-streaked Flycatcher.

This is a Grey-streaked Flycatcher.

An Asian Brown Flycatcher with pale breast and broad yellow base of bill.

Another Asian Brown Flycatcher.

Frontal shot of a Varied Tit.

There was also a Narcissus Flycatcher.

An Asian Brown Flycatcher again.

The last one was also an Asian Brown Flycatcher. If I hadn’t made a mistake when I was wondering whether the second bird was a Grey-streaked Flycatcher or a Siberian Flycatcher, I wouldn’t have seen the Siberian Flycatcher after all.