Bird of the day
Fiscal flycatcher
Melaenornis silens
The fiscal flycatcher (Sigelus silens) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It is the only species placed in the genus Sigelus. It is a resident breeder in Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland, and a vagrant to Namibia.
This species is found in subtropical open woodland, dry savanna, shrubland and suburban gardens.
This black and white bird gets its name from its resemblance to the northern and southern fiscal shrikes (previously considered one species, common fiscal), shrikes that in turn get the name from their black and white suit-and-tie appearance reminiscent of the taxman ('fiscal'). The male may be confused with the fiscal shrikes, but the shrikes have heavy, hooked bills, white patches on the shoulder rather than the lower wing, and no white on their longer tails. The resemblance is assumed to be an example of Batesian mimicry.
The fiscal flycatcher is 17–20 cm in length. The adult male is black above and white below with white wing patches and white sides to the tail. The female is brown above, somewhat like an immature fiscal shrike, not black. The juvenile is like the female but duller and with brown spots and scalloping above and below.
The song is a weak chittering, and the alarm call is tssisk.
The fiscal flycatcher is larger than the male collared flycatcher, which has a white collar and lacks white wing panels.
Aliases
fiscal flycatcher