At 108 mm total length, the
Ficedula westermanni is among the smallest flycatchers in our islands. It is fairly common in the canopy, understory or edge of montane forest, from 800 m up. It took me several trips to the Cordilleras of northern Luzon to be able to capture in detail a matching pair of the
rabori
sub-species.
This bird lives up to its meek appearance - it's not very shy and it can be approached quite closely, which is necessary to fill the frame with its tiny figure. As usual in the avian scheme of things, the male has a more striking plumage.
