- Lifespan
- 5–8 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 12–13 cm, wingspan 21–24 cm; 7–12 g
- Habitat
- Open woodlands, woodland edges, parks, and gardens with mature trees suitable for nesting in cavities or nest boxes.
- UK Distribution
- Summer breeding visitor to the UK, primarily in Wales, northern England, and Scotland from April to August; rare in southern England. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Diet
- Insectivorous, feeding mainly on small insects and spiders caught in flight or gleaned from foliage, including flies, midges, and small beetles.
- Prey
- Small flying insects: flies, gnats, midges, small beetles, spiders, and caterpillars
- Predators
- Sparrowhawks, jackdaws, magpies, and domestic cats; eggs and chicks taken by woodpeckers, nuthatches, and grey squirrels
- Mating Season
- April to July
- Breeding
- Clutch size 4–8 eggs, typically 5–6; incubation period 12–13 days; fledging period 12–13 days; usually single-brooded in the UK, occasionally double-brooded.
- Behaviour
- Males are territorial and arrive at breeding grounds before females, displaying from prominent perches with characteristic tail-flicking. Highly acrobatic in flight, catching insects mid-air with sharp, audible snaps of the bill. Solitary and relatively quiet compared to other flycatchers.