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Recordings
Scientific Name
Muscicapa striata
Arabic Name
خاطف الذباب المرقط
Kuwaiti name
ذبابي
Length
14.0 cm
Information
Very common passage migrant; rare winter visitor. A remarkable long-distance migrant widespread throughout the temperate Western Palearctic. It will sometimes be seen migrating in loose groups; 75 recorded in late May 1968.
Where in Kuwait
On passage it has a preference for natural and mature habitats with plenty of clearings, but can also be found in parkland and gardens. As such it can be found along Gulf Road, at Green Island, inland pools in the Jahra area, Al Abraq in the west and both to the north and south of the country
In the world
It has an extremely large range and a population is declining in North and Central Europe owing to habitat conversion, cooler summers, and decreasing insect populations caused by pollution and insecticides. In Europe, trends since 1980 show that populations have undergone a moderate decline. It breeds in most of Europe and western Asia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western Asia. This species hunts from conspicuous perches, making sallies after passing flying insects, and often returning to the same perch. Their upright posture is characteristic and they exhibit an atypical molt strategy, that is they molt their primaries and some of their secondaries in the reverse order from what is seen in most passerines. This species shows excellent egg recognition, and it is likely that it was once a host of the Cuckoo, but became so good at recognising the intruder's eggs that it ceased to be victimised.
Local threats
Habitat loss and degradation