Photos and videos of wild birds found in the Philippines. We travel all over the Philippines to document and take pictures of birds. Our goal is to make this site a resource of information and images about wild birds of the Philippines.

Narcissus Flycatcher

NARCISSUS FLYCATCHER
Ficedula narcissina
Family Muscicapidae

Rare- Migrant
Length 5 1/4" (132mm)
Bird # 274 - November, 2010

The Kennedy guide says it is unmistakable. The bright orange coloration of the male is a dead give-away. The female is a difficult bird to identify being very similar to other brown flycatchers. We first saw the female in Busuanga, Palawan. Tonji saw the male near the parking lot of the tennis courts of our village! It's a small bird and had previously been reported in Alabang when one landed in the lanai of Nicole F. early in 2010.

Our next encounter was a brief sighting of both male and female in UP Diliman.

We had our third and fourth encounter in Mt. Makiling on 2012. And the fifth was in Mindoro.

NARCISSUS FLYCATCHER, female
<i>Ficedula narcissina</i>
Busuanga, Palawan, Philippines

November 2009

This bird was initially identified as an Asian Brown Flycatcher in PBPF. However, when I submitted a trip report to WBCP and Des Allen, the person who approves the trip report did not accept the Asian Brown Flycatcher id. He said, "I think it is a female Blue-and-white flycatcher. Structurally it looks all wrong for a small muscicapa. It does not show a yellow base to the lower mandible, the bill looks the wrong shape, the body too big in relation to the head, the brown on the breast is the wrong pattern, the eyering is yellowish rather than white." In another email he also said, "I can't ID this as an Asian Brown, there are too many things wrong, although it may be. Another is the lack of pale lores."

Des sent the picture to Phil Round for id. According to Des, Phil Round knows flycatchers very well and is the author of Birds of Thailand. Phil Round said, "'I agree with you. This is not an Asian Brown Flycatcher. No prominent broad pale base to lower mandible. Bill shape not broad and flattened enough. Lack of a clear malar stripe.No extensive, duffuse loral patch. Clear distinction between whitish throat and brownish wash on breast is wrong. Most likely female Narcissus, perhaps?"

So, both Des and Phil agree that this is not an Asian Brown Flycatcher. Phil thinks it might be a Narcissus, but Des still thinks it's a female Blue and White.

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NARCISSUS FLYCATCHER, female Ficedula narcissina Busuanga, Palawan, Philippines November 2009 This bird was initially identified as an Asian Brown Flycatcher in PBPF. However, when I submitted a trip report to WBCP and Des Allen, the person who approves the trip report did not accept the Asian Brown Flycatcher id. He said, "I think it is a female Blue-and-white flycatcher. Structurally it looks all wrong for a small muscicapa. It does not show a yellow base to the lower mandible, the bill looks the wrong shape, the body too big in relation to the head, the brown on the breast is the wrong pattern, the eyering is yellowish rather than white." In another email he also said, "I can't ID this as an Asian Brown, there are too many things wrong, although it may be. Another is the lack of pale lores." Des sent the picture to Phil Round for id. According to Des, Phil Round knows flycatchers very well and is the author of Birds of Thailand. Phil Round said, "'I agree with you. This is not an Asian Brown Flycatcher. No prominent broad pale base to lower mandible. Bill shape not broad and flattened enough. Lack of a clear malar stripe.No extensive, duffuse loral patch. Clear distinction between whitish throat and brownish wash on breast is wrong. Most likely female Narcissus, perhaps?" So, both Des and Phil agree that this is not an Asian Brown Flycatcher. Phil thinks it might be a Narcissus, but Des still thinks it's a female Blue and White.

coron busuanga philippines lbj