- Empidonax hammondii
Identification
5-5 1/2" (13-14 cm)
- Olive-gray upperparts
- Light throat
- Gray breast
- Pale yellow belly
- White eye ring
- White wing bars
Similar Species
Throat not as white as Alder Flycatcher; breast darker and bill narrower and shorter than Dusky Flycatcher.
Distribution
Breeds from eastern Alaska south to northern California and northern New Mexico.
Winters in tropics (Nicaragua), rarely in Arizona.
Accidental vagrant to northeast (New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island), midwest (Michigan) and the Gulf Coast (Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas).
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Coniferous and mixed forests. Riparian areas of mixed trees and scrub. Also brush in arid country.
Behaviour
Inclined to flick wings and tail rather more than other similar species.
Breeding
The clutch consists of 3 or 4 white eggs, occasionally spotted, in a well-built cup nest placed on a branch high in a tree.
Vocalisation
Song: seweep-tsurp-seep, the last part rising
Calls: a high peep (similar to a Pygmy Nuthatch) and a soft wit.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Audobon Guides
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Hammond's Flycatcher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 2 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Hammond%27s_Flycatcher
