Nov 20

Bird of the day

Satin flycatcher

Myiagra cyanoleuca

The satin flycatcher (Myiagra cyanoleuca) is a species of bird in the family Monarchidae. Males stand out with their blue-black feathers contrasting their white bellies, and the females with their bright orange throats. It breeds mostly in south-eastern Tasmania and Australia. It is declining throughout the eastern seaboard due to predation from the introduced Red Fox and habitat loss. It is a vagrant to New Zealand.

The satin flycatcher is a small bird, around 17 cm tall, and weighing around 17g. They have a small, sharp, pointed beak used for catching small invertebrates (insects). The species has sexually dimorphic characteristics; the male birds are a glossy black-blue colour, with a white belly and small crest upon their head, while the females are a dusty brown-grey colour with a bright orange chest and throat, and a white belly. They stand upright, and their tail feathers spread out to form a 'fan' shape.

Aliases

Myiagra cyanoleuca