thumb|Ficedula parva - [[MHNT]]
The red-breasted flycatcher (Ficedula parva) is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in eastern Europe and across Central Asia and is migratory, wintering in south Asia. with Ficedula being the Latin name for a small fig-eating bird (ficus, "fig") supposed to change into the blackcap in winter. The specific parva is the feminine form of the Latin adjective parvus, meaning "small".
The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognized. Two closely related species, the taiga flycatcher (F. albicilla) and the Kashmir flycatcher (F. subrubra), were formerly treated as subspecies of F. parva.
Males often sing while perched on bare or dead branches at medium height, and will often begin singing just before landing. They only sing for a few weeks and stop singing completely once they find a mate.
Behavior
Characteristic behaviors of red-breasted flycatchers include flicking and fanning their tail. They are a diurnal species which stay active into dusk and early night during the breeding season, at the height of which they will start singing about an hour before sunrise, with some even singing into the night. They are highly territorial during the breeding season, but are otherwise solitary or in small groups, sometimes mixed with other species. Rival males will defend their territories with loud singing and display postures, occasionally making short, non-violent rushes at each other. They are usually wary of predators, sometimes briefly abandoning their clutches once disturbed. The males will make alarm calls even at distant threats once the eggs have hatched. Eurasian jays will raid the nests of red-breasted flycatchers, and both parents may mob potential intruders.
Feeding
Red-breasted flycatchers mainly feed on insects and small spiders, which are caught on the wing and sometimes from the ground. Ants, small beetles, hoverflies, true flies, and small moths (including larvae and pupae) form the bulk of the diet for both adults and nestlings. While perched on the lookout for insects, the tail is often flicked upwards while the wingtips are held down. The bird will inspect leaves and tree trunks in a manner similar to leaf warblers, and will take insects in short hovering flights. Foraging mostly occurs in or near the canopy, but also in shrubs and occasionally on the ground, where small snails will sometimes be taken. Caterpillars may also be taken amongst the oak foliage. In autumn, red-breasted flycatchers will supplement their diets with berries, especially elderberries, currants, and blackberries. The red-breasted flycatcher has been recorded as a rare vagrant to Iceland, Ireland, the Faroe Islands, the Canary Islands and Sudan.