Spotted Flycatcher, Grauschnäpper, Muscicapa striata
There’s quite a few of these tiny fellows around these days (or it’s the same one I see at different locations 
). They are fascinating to watch and not overly shy. They are so fixed on finding the next insect that you can get quite close to them. They sit on a branch for a while tilting their head this way and that, just to all off a sudden fly up and pounce on whatever caught their eye. Amazing 
Spotted Flycatcher, Grauschnäpper, Muscicapa striata
Not sure why they are called ‘spotted’, because their chest marks are more like streaks, but that’s just me wondering. I think the German name fits the bill better: ‘Grau’ for ‘grey’ and ‘schnäpper’ for ‘snapping’.
This tiny fellow gets about as big as 13-15cm. He breeds in gardens, parks and forests, often with small glades and openings.
Spotted Flycatcher, Grauschnäpper, Muscicapa striata
He is a very common passage migrant for Kuwait (Sept-Oct & March-July), rare to see him here in summer. Wintering grounds are in Africa, breeding grounds are in Europe, Caucasus area, west Siberia (of all places) & possibly Turkey. Amazing when you look at the world map and see what kind of a journey they have.
Spotted Flycatcher, Grauschnäpper, Muscicapa striata
Infos from:
Collin’s Bird guide, Birds of Kuwait & Bavarianbirds – thanks!
Taken with a Nikon D300 & a Nikkor 18-200mm lens
To view the photos larger, pls click on one & then on an arrow – thanks!
PS: I’ve taken a stroll through the ‘hood yesterday. If you want to see what it looks like here, take a peek at my other blog
