Paperbark Flycatcher (immature)

Description:

This little baby Flycatcher has a light rufous coluring on the chin down to the top of the chest. The belly down to the rump is white while the top of the body is blue/black. As this is a young one, the tail feathers are much shorter.

Habitat:

Sitting on the branch of a Paperbark Tree (Melaleuca sp.) around the edge of the water at Mankajarra Wetlands. This is towards the end of the dry season and in the build up to the wet season. Although the water level was low at the time, (it got much lower see pic 3 taken three weeks after the Paperbark Flycatcher), there was still water and food due to the large amount of rain from the previous wet season (see pic 2 taken April 2017 just after the wet season) . Mankajarra has stands of Paperbark Trees (Melaleuca sp.) and other plants along the edges of the water. When the water level is high, the trees are in the water (see pic 2) and the birds have many more places to hide in and hunt from.

Notes:

First time seeing a baby Paperbark Flycatcher for myself and my mum!!! The adults were calling to it as the young one called to them in this little video: https://youtu.be/9JGFZ-d_UVY