Least Flycatcher

Least Flycatcher at nest with begging young.

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A small drab flycatcher of open woods, the Least Flycatcher is one of the smallest and most common flycatchers in North America.

Description

• Small flycatcher.
• Prominent eyering.
• Two white wingbars.
• Back brownish olive to gray.
• Underparts whitish.

• Size: 12-14 cm (5-6 in)
• Wingspan: 20 cm (8 in)
• Weight: 8-13 g (0.28-0.46 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes alike.

Sound

Song a harsh, two-noted "che-bek."

Conservation Status

Common. Some populations may be slightly declining.

Other Names

Moucherolle tchébec (French)
Mosquerito mínimo, Tontín chebec (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• Unlike most species of songbird, adult Least Flycatchers migrate to their wintering grounds before molting, while young birds molt before and during autumn migration. Why such a pattern has developed remains unclear, but it may result from strong selection on adults for early arrival and establishment of territories on the wintering grounds.
• One Least Flycatcher nest was found to have used dragonfly wings as nest lining.

Sources used to construct this page:

Briskie,  J. V. 1994. Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus). In The Birds of North America, No. 99 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists' Union.