Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Empidonax flaviventris

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

The easiest eastern Empidonax to identify, the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher is a bird of the boreal forests and bogs. Its yellow underparts distinguish it from the other eastern Empidonax, but both its common calls can easily be confused with other species.

Cool Facts

• The Yellow-bellied Flycatcher winters in semi-open habitats of Central America, including coffee plantations. Shade-grown coffee plantations have higher densities of Yellow-bellied Flycatchers than sun-grown coffee plantations.

Description

• Size: 13-15 cm (5-6 in)
• Wingspan: 18-20 cm (7-8 in)
• Weight: 9-16 g (0.32-0.56 ounces)

• Small flycatcher.
• Large head; rounded to almost crested.
• Eyering, throat and breast yellowish.
• Two broad yellow or white wingbars.

• Short, wide bill.
• Medium long tail.
• Eyering complete and round or almond-shaped.
• Dusky green breast band.
• Uniform olive-green above.
• Dark upper mandible, light lower mandible.
• Legs and feet dark.

Sex Differences

Sexes alike.

Immature

Similar to adults

Similar Species

• "Western" Flycatchers (Cordilleran and Pacific-slope) have teardrop-shaped eyering and duller wing coverts that do not contrast with wingbars. Also longer tail and shorter primaries.

Sound

Song an abrupt, hoarse "che-lek." Call a rising whistled "tu-wee."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds from southern Yukon to Newfoundland, south to the northern United States from Minnesota to Maine. Also isolated populations in New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Winter Range

Winters from central Mexico to Panama.

Habitat

• Breeds in boreal coniferous forests and peatlands. Nests in cool, moist forests, bogs, swamps, and muskegs.
• Winters in variety of habitats from forests to semi-open habitats. Most common in dense rain forest, montane evergreen forest, pine-oak forest, and shaded coffee plantations.

Food

Insects and arthropods. Occasionally takes fruit.

Behavior

Foraging

Catches flying insects in mid-air, or gleans them from foliage.

Displays

Flight song given at predawn or dusk.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest built on or near ground, well covered with hanging vegetation. Nest made mostly of moss, lined with rootlets, pine needles, or grass stems.

Egg Description

White with light speckling of fine dots and small blotches of brown around larger end.

Clutch Size

2-5 eggs.

Condition at Hatching

Hatch naked and helpless.

Conservation Status

Most of breeding range in Canada is remote and secure. On the wintering grounds it is vulnerable to forest destruction. Shade-grown coffee plantations have higher densities of Yellow-bellied Flycatchers than sun-grown coffee plantations.

Other Names

Moucherolle à ventre jaune (French)
Mosquito oliva, Mosquerito de vientre amarillo, Mosquareta barriga-amarilla, Mosquerito vientriamarillo, Mosquero vientre amarillo, Tontín oliva (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Gross, D. A., and P. E. Lowther. 2001. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris). In The Birds of North America, No. 566. (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.