- Myiarchus cinerascens
Identification
19-20cm.
Pale gray throat and breast, pale yellow underparts, brownish-olive upperparts, pale wing bars and tertial edges. On the closed wing, there is a rufous primary panel and a greyish-white secondary panel, made up of the edges of those feathers (except in juveniles, where secondary edges are buffy or rusty-edged secondaries making the wing less two-colored). Brown tail looking mostly rusty from the underside but with a dark end. Bill dark and slim
The sexes are similar
Distribution
Breeds from Washington and Wyoming south to southwestern United States, east to Texas.
Rare vagrant on Atlantic Coast in late fall (mostly November and December) with records in nearly all eastern states and provinces, when it is the only Myiarchus likely to occur.
Winters in southern California and Arizona southward to Costa Rica.
Taxonomy
Polytypic. Consists of two subspecies.
Subspecies1
- M. c. cinerascens:
- breeds western United States and western Mexico; winters to northern Costa Rica
- M. c. pertinax:
- breeds Baja California Sur (south of latitude 29°)
Habitat
Rocky canyons to 5500 ft, hillsides, low mixed oak and pine forest, oak woodland, transitional chaparral and hedgerows.
Behaviour
Breeding
Three to four eggs are laid in a nest which is built in a tree cavity or similar natural or man-made hole.
Diet
The diet includes insects.
Vocalistion
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Wikipedia
- BF Member observations
- Birdforum thread discussing id of this species
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Ash-throated Flycatcher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 9 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Ash-throated_Flycatcher
