Red-breasted Flycatcher

News: The Red-Breasted Flycatcher, a migratory bird from Eastern Europe, was recently spotted at Ameenpur Lake in Hyderabad.

About Red-breasted Flycatcher

1. Scientific name-Ficedula parva

2. It is a small (11-12 cm) passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family.

3. It can be found occasionally feeding on figs (banyan, peepal) in our urban gardens.

4. Appearances:

• Males have a reddish-orange throat that extends till the upper breast, whereas the females are overall brown. Both have creamy-white underparts.
• They can be distinguished from other orders by the arrangement of their toes — three pointing forward and one backward, a design that helps them to cling onto branches efficiently.

5. Migration– It generally migrates from Eastern Europe to avoid the harsh winters and thrive in South Asia’s moderate climate with abundant food.

6. Breeding:

• The bird breeds from spring to summer, in the deciduous mixed forests of Eastern Europe and across Central Asia.
• In winter months (September to March mostly), it migrates to forests, woodlands, orchards, parks, and roadside trees of the Indian Subcontinent.

7. Conservation Status:

• IUCN: Least Concern

About Ameenpur Lake

1. It is a small lake in the Sangareddy district of Telangana, located on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

2. It is the first body of water in India to be designated as a Biodiversity Heritage Site, as well as the first biodiversity site to be approved in an urban are.

3. The lake is man-made and was reportedly built over 300 years ago during the reign of Ibrahim Qutb Shah (1550–1580 AD).

4. Wildlife: 

• The lake brims with life: bar-headed geese, cormorants, ruddy shelducks, and grey herons.
• The checkered keelback snake catches fish, while buffaloes lounge in the deeper parts of the water.
• Flamingoes are the most common birds found here.