View source for Biology:Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers

{{Short description|Group of birds}}
The term '''Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers''' is used to refer to a group of similar-looking [[Biology:Bird|bird]]s in the [[Biology:Genus|genus]] ''[[Biology:Ficedula|Ficedula]]'':

* [[Biology:Atlas pied flycatcher|Atlas pied flycatcher]] ''F. speculigera'' which breeds in [[Place:Northwest Africa|Northwest Africa]]
* [[Biology:Collared flycatcher|Collared flycatcher]] ''F. albicollis'' which breeds in [[Place:Eastern Europe|Eastern Europe]]
* [[Biology:European pied flycatcher|European pied flycatcher]] ''F. hypoleuca'' which breeds in [[Place:Western Europe|Western Europe]]
* Semi-collared flycatcher ''F. semitorquata'' of [[Place:Southeast Europe|Southeast Europe]] and Southwest Asia

European pied and collared flycatchers hybridise to a limited extent where their ranges meet; the hybrids have reduced [[Biology:Fitness|fitness]] and usually do not survive their first winter (Parkin 2003). Female hybrids are usually [[Medicine:Infertility|sterile]] (Gelter ''et al.'' 1992; ''see also'' Haldane's Rule).

All species leave their breeding grounds to winter in [[Place:Sub-Saharan Africa|Sub-Saharan Africa]].

==References==
* '''Gelter''', H. P.; Tegelström, H. & Gustafsson, L. (1992): Evidence from hatching success and DNA fingerprinting for the fertility of hybrid Pied × Collared Flycatchers ''Ficedula hypoleuca – albicollis''. ''Ibis'' '''134'''(1): 62–68.
* '''Parkin''', David T. (2003): Birding and DNA: species for the new millennium. ''Bird Study'' '''50'''(3): 223–242. [http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bto/bird/2003/00000050/00000003/art00003 HTML abstract]

[[Category:Ficedula]]



{{Sourceattribution|Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers}}