Kashmir flycatcher

Description

The Kashmir flycatcher (Ficedula subrubra) is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae.At one time it was considered to be a subspecies of the red-breasted flycatcher,Ficedula parva.This is an insectivorous species which breeds in the north-west Himalayas in the Kashmir region of the Indian Subcontinent.It is migratory and winters in the hills of central Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats of India.The Kashmir flycatcher breeds in deciduous forest with dense undergrowth,nesting in a hole in a tree and laying 3-5 eggs which are incubated by the female.It winters in gardens,tea estates,forest edges,and open areas within forest,generally above 750 m.Most individuals leave the breeding grounds in September,arriving in Sri Lanka in October and departing again in late March.One of the best places to see this rare species is Victoria Park in Nuwara Eliya.