Genus: Empidonax
Description
Small drab flycatchers with wing bars and eye rings.
Taxonomy
Empidonax is a genus in the family Tyrannidae.
Identification
This is notoriously difficult and compounded by the fact that distributions of many species extensively overlap. In general it's best done by call. However, Dr Cin-Ty Lee and Andy Birch provide characteristics which in combination can identify many individuals (summarised and expanded below). The westerly distributed Gray Flycatcher overlaps the least with other north american species. Pacific slope Flycatcher (west) and Acadian Flycatcher (east) occur on opposite sides of the continent.
Western Wood Pewee and Eastern Wood Pewee have much longer primary projections than empids.
Characters to concentrate on
- overall: general colour. Ranges from grey to yellow to tawny brown
- crown: general shape of the crown (from flattish to crested)
- forehead: relative angle of the forehead
- eye-ring: distinctness and shape
- bill: how large, long
- lower mandible: varies from all dark to all orange/pale
- throat and undersides: (lack of) / contrast between the throat and undersides
- wingbars: from the rest of the wing / mantle
- wing panel contrast: from the rest of the wing / mantle
- primary extension: from short to long
- tail: from short, fat to long, narrow. May be difficult to judge
| species | overall | crown | forehead | eye-ring | bill | lower mandible | throat and undersides | wingbars | wing panel contrast | primary extension | tail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-throated Flycatcher | tawny brown | round | shallow | indistinct but thin crisp | medium | variable | more or less contrasting whitish throat which may extend back under auriculars | variable: brown | no: pale (brown) tertial fringes | short | short, fat: pale outer vanes |
| Willow Flycatcher | tawny brown (often browner than Alder) | peaked | shallow | indistinct or none | medium to large | orange | medium contrast throat. Underparts whitish or browny yellow | dull | no | medium | short, fat |
| Alder Flycatcher | dull tawny brown | round | shallow to medium | indistinct but thin crisp | medium to large | paler than upper | medium contrast greyish, whitish or yellowish throat | medium to bright | strong | medium | short, fat |
| Acadian Flycatcher | greenish-brown | peaked | shallow | crisp; not white | large | orange: tip may be dusky | white contrasting throat, undersides (can be yellowish) | bold | yes | long | medium, fat |
| Yellowish Flycatcher | tawny yellow | crested | shallow | distinct, tear-dropped, yellowish | medium to large | orange | low contrast lighter yellow throat. Underparts greyish yellow to ochre | dull | no: all flight feathers have brownish fringes | medium | short, fat: yellowish outer vanes |
| Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | dull greenish yellow | round | steep | crisp; lemon | small to medium | orange | low contrast yellow throat and undersides | bold | yes | long | short, narrow |
| Pacific slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher | greeny yellowish | crested | medium | distinct, tear-dropped; lemon | medium | orange | low contrast throat. Overall yellow/yellow-brown colouration above and below | strong | no: tertial fringes may be obvious | medium | medium, narrow |
| Gray Flycatcher | greyish, or brownish-grey | flat | shallow | indistinct and messy; off-white | large | orange: tip may be dusky | low contrast pale grey throat and undersides. Sometimes yellowish lower belly, vent | dull | no | short | long, narrow, droops slowly downward; white outer feathers |
| Pine Flycatcher | greyish: mantle rarely brownish | crested | medium | distinct, tear-dropped, white | medium to large | bright orange | low contrast whitish or greyish throat with similar chest and belly. Whitish vent | medium | no: tertials may lack pale fringes | medium to long | medium, widens from narrow base; white outer vanes |
| Dusky Flycatcher | greyish: mantle sometimes greeny-brownish | flat to round | medium | indistinct and messy; off-white | small to medium | dark | low contrast pale grey throat and chest. Underparts grey, can be brownish | dull | no | short | medium, narrow |
| Hammond's Flycatcher | greyish: mantle sometimes greeny-brownish | rounded to peaked | very steep | bold, messy: whitish | small | dark (mostly) | low contrast grey throat, chest. Underparts greyish perhaps with brownish, yellowish | medium | no | long | short, narrow |
| Least Flycatcher | greyish: mantle generally brownish | round | medium | bold but messy; white | small | flesh to orange; tip may be dusky | white contrasting throat, central chest, belly. Underparts otherwise greyish/yellowish | bold | yes | short to medium | short, narrow |
(Biggest sources for above: [1] , Ebird/Macauley images)
Other species are usually distinctive. Buff-breasted Flycatcher has ochre-buff face and breast. Black-capped Flycatcher has a black cap (sometimes blackish face)
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| E. flaviventris | Yellow-bellied Flycatcher | ||
| E. virescens | Acadian Flycatcher | ||
| E. alnorum | Alder Flycatcher | ||
| E. traillii | Willow Flycatcher | ||
| E. albigularis | White-throated Flycatcher | ||
| E. minimus | Least Flycatcher | ||
| E. hammondii | Hammond's Flycatcher | ||
| E. wrightii | Gray Flycatcher | ||
| E. oberholseri | Dusky Flycatcher | ||
| E. affinis | Pine Flycatcher | ||
| E. difficilis | Western Flycatcher | ||
| E. flavescens | Yellowish Flycatcher | ||
| E. fulvifrons | Buff-breasted Flycatcher | ||
| E. atriceps | Black-capped Flycatcher | ||
Pages in category ‘Empidonax’
The following 14 pages are in this category, out of 14 total.
