Muscicapidae

The Old World flycatchers, part of the Muscicapidae family, are small passerine birds found mainly in Europe, Africa, and Asia, with some species like the bluethroat and northern wheatear also in North America. This family includes 357 species across 54 genera, characterized by small to medium size (9 to 22 cm) and varied plumage, often dull but sometimes bright in males. They primarily catch insects in flight, possessing broad, flattened bills, while ground-foragers have finer bills. These birds inhabit various environments with trees, migrate south in winter, and their nests can be well-constructed cups or simple linings in tree holes, with hole-nesters averaging eight eggs per clutch.