Siberian Flycatcher

Muscicapa sibirica (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

2021-08-16 VKO, Katon-Karagajskij GNPP, Arshaty	© Alexandr Belyaev

Distribution

Breeding in Western Altai in upper current of Belaya Uba river (Scherbakov, 1974), on Ivanovskiy and Lineyskiy ridges close to Ridder (Scherbakov, 2001) and in Southern Altai in upper reach of Bukhtarma river between Uryl and Berel villages (Berezovikov, Rubinich, 2001; Belyalov, 2002b).

Biology

Very rare breeding migrant. Inhabits light larch, birch-larch and spruce-larch-birch forest at 900-1800 m. Arrives in end May – mid-June. Breeding in separate pairs. Nest is built in tree (birch, willow, larch) at 1-8 m above ground from thin twigs, grass and lichen lined with larch needles and other soft material. Both partners gather materials, but mostly female builds it. Clutches of 4-5 eggs in mid – end June probably. Both parents feed juveniles, which fledge in mid-July – early August. Broods with two-five juveniles recorded 16 July 2001 - 9 August 1972. Autumn migration begins in late August and finishes in end September – early October.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005.
Рябицев В. К., Ковшарь А. Ф., Ковшарь В. А., Березовиков Н. Н. «Полевой определитель птиц Казахстана», Алматы, 2014.