African Dusky Flycatcher

The African dusky flycatcher (Muscicapa adusta), also known as the dusky-brown flycatcher or dusky alseonax, is a small passerine bird of the Old World flycatcher family, Muscicapidae. It is a resident breeder in Africa from Nigeria, the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Ethiopia south to South Africa. It is very common in its woodland habitat, which includes riverine forests, evergreen forest edges and clearings, especially near water bodies such as lakes, dams and streams, and well-wooded suburban gardens. The African dusky flycatcher is 13 cm long. Its upperparts are plain brown, with the only facial marking being an indistinct narrow eye-ring. The chin is plain pale grey, and the rest of the underparts are grey-brown with indistinct streaks. The short, straight, laterally flattened bill is black, the legs and feet are grey, and the eyes are brown. The sexes are similar, but the juvenile is spotted with buff above, and is whitish spotted with brown below. This species is similar to the common migrant, the spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata, but is smaller and darker, especially on the underparts, than that species. Spotted flycatcher also has a streaked forehead, a feature not shown by the African dusky flycatcher. The African dusky flycatcher has soft, high-pitched "tzeeet" and tsirit calls.