Ficedula hypoleuca is a widespread summer visitor to much of Europe (occurring more patchily in the south and west), with the region constituting >75% of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is extremely large (>12,000,000 pairs), and was stable between 1970-1990. Although the species declined in several countries during 1990-2000-most notably in Fennoscandia-the stronghold population in Russia and other eastern populations were stable, and the species declined only slightly overall.

In west Palearctic, breeds in higher latitudes than other Ficedula, in temperate but also in boreal and Mediterranean zones, mainly in lowlands or hilly country. In north Africa breeds at 1200-1800 m in forests of cedar, oak and Aleppo pine.

In Central Europe eggs laid late April to early June. North-west Africa the eggs are present first week of May to first week of June. In England the egg laying starts between end of April and mid-May, in Sweden eggs are laid late May to end of June, in the Moscow region laying starts early May to mid-June and Finnish Lapland it starts mid-June. Generally 1 brood is hatched, 2 broods recorded only in England and Moscow region. Nest is a hole, preferrably of woodpecker, a rot-hole caused by lost branch, and particularly in Scandinavia in old hole of Willow Tit. Nest: is a rough loose foundation of leaves, roots, fragments of bark, and grass; cup lined with feathers, wool, thin flakes of bark, hair, grass, fine roots, etc. Clutch: 6-7 (5-8) and decreasing as season progresses, the eggs are incubated for 13-15 days, the youbng fledge after 14-17 days.

Arthropods, flying and non-flying, especially Hymenoptera, Diptera, and beetles. During breeding seazon, larval Lepidoptera important. Fruit and seeds taken regularly in small amounts in late summer and on migration, and when feeding conditions poor. Obtains food directly from trees or ground or by sallying out from perch after flying prey, usually for short distance.

This species has a large range, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 10,000,000 km². It has a large global population, including an estimated 24,000,000-39,000,000 individuals in Europe (BirdLife International in prep.). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Long-distance migrant, wintering in West Africa, south of the Sahara and mainly north of Gulf of Guinea, where various woodland habitats are utilized. No satisfactory records anywhere east of northern Zaïre and Central African Republic. On autumn migration, major stopover and fattening area in Iberia (mainly north-west) and probably northern Italy. Thus many northern migrants move far to west before turning south. ) failed breeders may migrate early, in June or early July. Normal autumn movements start late July or early August. Passage through Gibraltar from mid-August to end of October, chiefly September. Spring migration begins in March. Passage through Mediterranean peaks mid-April to early May. Return to breeding areas mid- to late April in southern sites, but up to mid-May in north.

article number 1 Title
The quality of pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) and great tit (Parus major) females in an air pollution gradient
Author(s): Eeva, T., Lehikoinen, E. & Sunell, C. 1997
Abstract: We studied whether pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) and great tit (Parus major) females differed in quality between polluted and unpolluted habitats. Comparing female condition between incubation ..[more]..
Source: Ann. Zool. Fennici 34: 61-71
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article number 10 Title
Do parasitic mites decrease growth of nestling Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca?
Author(s): Bauchau V.
Abstract: The effect of a parasitic mite Dermanyssus hirundinis on the growth and survival of nestling Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca was tested by an experiment where the parasite level was reduced in half..[more]..
Source: ARDEA 85 (2): 243-247.
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article number 11 Title
Parental care in Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca: Energy expenditure in relation to plumage colour and mating status
Author(s): Saetre G.P., Slagsvold T., Kruszewicz A. & Viljugrein H.
Abstract: Females may benefit from expending more resources in care of offspring sired by sexually attractive males than by those of unattractive males in species with biparental care. Attractive males may ther..[more]..
Source: ARDEA 85 (2): 233-242.
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article number 12 Title
Mass loss in female Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca during late incubation: Supplementation fails to support the reproductive stress hypothesis.
Author(s): Slagsvold T. & Johansen M.A.
Abstract: In most species of altricial birds, females experience great changes in body mass during the reproductive period. Mass loss of females after hatching of the young has commonly been regarded as a resul..[more]..
Source: ARDEA 86 (2): 203-211
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article number 13 Title
Effect of habitat and latitude on nestling diet of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca.
Author(s): Sanz J.J.
Abstract: Composition and diversity of the nestling diet of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca was compared among 17 European study areas that differed in habitat type (deciduous or coniferous forest). The mos..[more]..
Source: ARDEA 86 (1): 81-88.
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article number 14 Title
Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca travelling from Africa to breed in Europe: differential effects of winter and migration conditions on breeding date
Author(s): Both C., Sanz J.J., et al.
Abstract: In most bird species there is only a short time window available for optimal breeding due to variation in ecological conditions in a seasonal environment. Long-distance migrants must travel before the..[more]..
Source: ARDEA 94 (3): 511-525
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article number 15 Title
A trade-off between two resource-demanding functions: post-nuptial moult and immunity during reproduction in male pied flycatchers
Author(s): Juan José Sanz, Juan Moreno, Santiago Merino and Gustavo Tomás
Abstract: Costs of reproduction might be mediated by a resource-allocation trade-off between immunity and reproductive effort. Recent studies have suggested that the moult-breeding overlap observed mainly in ma..[more]..
Source: Journal of Animal Ecology 73 (3), 441-447
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article number 16 Title
Environmental, genetic and maternal components of immunocompetence of nestling pied flycatchers from a cross-fostering study
Author(s): Juan José Soler
Abstract: Genetic, environmental and maternal effects can all affect the phenotypic expression of a trait. Through cross-fostering experiments in nesting birds, variation due to genetic and environmental effe..[more]..
Source: Evolutionary Ecology Research, 2003, 5: 259-272
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article number 2 Title
From mating to laying: genetic and environmental variation in mating dates and prelaying periods of female pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca
Author(s): Potti, J. 1999
Abstract: The duration of the period comprised between mating and the onset of laying and its correlates and consequences for aspects of female breeding performance are investigated in a population of pied flyc..[more]..
Source: Ann. Zool. Fennici 36: 187-194
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article number 3 Title
Provisioning response to manipulation of apparent predation danger by parental Pied Flycatchers
Author(s): Hakkarainen, H., Yli-Tuomi, I., Korpimäki, E. & Ydenberg, R. 2002
Abstract: We tested whether nest visitation rate of parent pied Flycatch ers (Ficedula hypoleuca) is decreased by an experimentally increased predation risk. We simulated predation risk by placing a stuffed Pyg..[more]..
Source: Ornis Fennica 79:139-144
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article number 4 Title
Sexual size dimorphism and sources of variation in the growth of wing feathers in nestling Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca
Author(s): Potti, J.
Abstract: I report a 5-year field study of the growth of flight feathers, as scored by the lengths of the wing and first-primary feather, of Pied Flycatcher nestlings when they were 13 days old. Further evidenc..[more]..
Source: Ardeola 47(1), 2000, 37-47
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article number 5 Title
Niche partitioning of two Palearctic passerine migrants with Afrotropical residents in their West African winter quarters
Author(s): Volker Salewski, Franz Bairlein, and Bernd Leisler
Abstract: In bird migration systems, the question of coexistence and competition of migrants with residents in the nonbreeding season and their role in shaping the evolution of present avian communities is muc..[more]..
Source: Behavioral Ecology Vol. 14 No. 4: 493-502
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article number 6 Title
Effect of Food Availability on Incubation Period in the Pied Flycatcher
Author(s): Juan Jose Sanz
Abstract: Incubation maybe stressful because it restricts time for foraging (Walsberg 1983, Murphy and Haukioja 1986). Many bird species in which the females incubate alone, females obtain part of their food fr..[more]..
Source: The Auk 113(1):249-253, 1996
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article number 7 Title
Individual fluctuating asymmetry in pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) persists across moults, but is not heritable and not related to fitness
Author(s): Leif Christian Stige, Tore Slagsvold and Leif Asbjorn Vollestad
Abstract: Neither composite nor single trait fluctuating asymmetry was associated with individual condition, attractiveness, reproductive success or survival. Estimated heritabilities of signed and unsigned f..[more]..
Source: Evolutionary Ecology Research, 2005, 7: 381-406
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article number 8 Title
Return rate age at first breeding and natal dispersal of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca in central spain.
Author(s): Potti J. & Montalvo S.
Abstract: Demographic data are presented for the first time for a southern European population of Pied Flycatchers. The return rate of nestlings in both males and females is the highest reported in the literatu..[more]..
Source: ARDEA 79 (3): 419-428.
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article number 9 Title
Environmental restrictions on reproduction in the Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca.
Author(s): Sanz J.J
Abstract: I compared two populations of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca breeding in a coniferous forest with adverse weather conditions ('marginal habitat') and in a deciduous forest with a more favourable ..[more]..
Source: ARDEA 83 (2): 421-430
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