Willow Flycatcher

Empidonax traillii

Order PASSERIFORMES - Family TYRANNIDAE - Subfamily Fluvicolinae

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

A small drab flycatcher of wet, brushy areas, the Willow Flycatcher is best identified by its voice. Nearly identical to the Alder Flycatcher; the two species were considered the same until the 1970s.

Cool Facts

• Flycatcher songs are innate, not learned like those of most songbirds. Young Willow Flycatchers reared in captivity with Alder Flycatcher tutors sang typical Willow Flycatcher songs.

• When the two species are found together, the Willow Flycatcher will keep Alder Flycatchers out of its territory. But it expends more effort to keep out other Willow Flycatchers.

• If a Brown-headed Cowbird lays its eggs in the nest of a Willow Flycatcher, the flycatcher may bury the cowbird eggs in the nest lining, or even build a completely new nest over the top of the first one.

Description

• Size: 13-17 cm (5-7 in)
• Wingspan: 19-24 cm (7-9 in)
• Weight: 11-16 g (0.39-0.56 ounces)

• Small flycatcher.
• Two whitish wingbars.
• Thin white eyering may be lacking.

• Short, wide bill.
• Medium long tail.
• White throat contrasting with dull brownish breast band.
• Upper parts drab olive to brownish gray.
• Crown often darker.
• Upper bill dark, lower pale yellow or pinkish.
• Underparts light gray washed with yellow on belly in spring.
• Feet dark.

Sex Differences

Sexes alike.

Immature

Immatures browner above, yellower below, and wingbars buff or yellowish brown.

Similar Species

• Alder Flycatcher is virtually identical, identifiable only by voice.
• Other Empidonax flycatchers have more prominent eyerings.

Sound

Song a harsh "fitz-bew" or "rrritz-bew," accented on the first syllable. Call note a mellow "whit."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds across southern Canada through the middle United States, sporadically distributed in center of United States. Also isolated populations in California.

Winter Range

Winters in Central and South America.

Habitat

• Breeds in moist, shrubby areas, often with standing or running water.
• Winters in shrubby clearings and early successional growth.

Food

Mostly insects, some berries in fall.

Behavior

Foraging

Captures insects by hawking and hover-gleaning.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest built low in crotch of bush or small tree near water, on outer edge of shrub. Nest an open cup woven of weed stems, plant fibers, pine needles, shredded bark, and grass; lined with feathers, hair, rootlets, and fine materials.

Egg Description

Creamy white or buff dotted with dark irregular markings around large end.

Clutch Size

Usually 3-4 eggs. Range: 3-5.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless and with only small patches of down.

Conservation Status

Overall populations appear to be declining. Southwestern subspecies is listed as Endangered, extirpated from much of its original range. Listed on the Audubon Watchlist.

Other Names

Moucherolle des saules (French)
Mosquero saucero (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Sedgwick, J. A. 2000. Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii). In The Birds of North America, No. 533 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.