The diet of the European pied flycatcher is composed nearly entirely of insects.
One study analyzed the stomach contents of birds during the breeding season and found that ants, bees, wasps  and beetles made up the main diet.
Ants made up approximately 25% of the diet.

Food given to nestlings include spiders, butterflies, moths, flies, mosquitoes, ants, bees, wasps, and beetles.
For Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera, larvae appear to be consumed more than adult insects; the opposite is true for other insect species.
There is also variation between the proportions of larvae and adult insects between different habitats.
Nestlings were also found to consume more spiders, butterfly, and moth larvae, while adult flycatchers consume more ants.
The diet of the European pied flycatcher is composed nearly entirely of insects. One study analyzed the stomach contents of birds during the breeding season and found that ants, bees, wasps  and beetles made up the main diet. Ants made up approximately 25% of the diet.
Food given to nestlings include spiders, butterflies, moths, flies, mosquitoes, ants, bees, wasps, and beetles. For Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera, larvae appear to be consumed more than adult insects; the opposite is true for other insect species. There is also variation between the proportions of larvae and adult insects between different habitats. Nestlings were also found to consume more spiders, butterfly, and moth larvae, while adult flycatchers consume more ants.
European pied flycatcher