I just walked outside and heard a call I never heard before. So I ran inside to grab my binoculars and found about 10 Restless Flycatchers up in the higher branches of the gums. I have never heard or seen them before so it was a first for me 
Jackie
Restless Flycatcher
Sat, 06/10/2012 - 09:58
#1
jfiess78
Restless Flycatcher
always good to see a lifer
another pied bird that I like
Peter
10 restles flycatchers!!! Are you sure? My old, disintegrating Pizzey tells me they're seen as singles or in pairs.
By the way, this species is nearly extinct in the Mt Lofty Ranges. Where I live only 2 sightings in 25 years. Another reason for cracking down on those pesky black birds!
Woko I must ask ,what do blackbirds do to cause lower numbers of flycatcher ?
See it! Hear it!
Mid-North Coast NSW
Hi Woko, definitely 100% positive. I have always tried to study bird books and even though I had never heard or seen one before I knew once I had observed them through the binoculars that they were Restless Flycatchers.
They were flying between our trees and the neighbours trees across the road. There was a lot of noise because they were all calling to each other. I also listened to the audio on the Bird finder and that call is exactly what I heard.
Cheers, Jackie
Hello Jackie and Woko,
Jackie what you've seen is when a 'family' of Restless Flycatchers have determined that there are too many of them in the one area and are 'breaking up' the family unit. When there are too many birds in the one area, the dominant female (l believe) moves out to a new, uninhabitated (for RF that is) area to start a new family. As to the lesser members in the unit, l suppose they also disperse but whether they breed or not l do not know.
As Woko says, they are generally a solitary bird. From what l've observed around here, there is about 5km between bird sightings.
Most interesting, mtck. Thanks.
Darin, the two species compete for food (they both take their tucker from the ground & they have spiders, insects & worms in common in their diets). They would almost certainly compete for nesting material if not for nesting places. I'm not sure of the affect of black bird calls on native species but I think the risk is there that it would be a negative one. The restless flycatcher is reported to be timid, particularly around nesting time. "Timid" isn't a word I'd ascribe to the black bird.