Brown-crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus tyrannulus
Fairly large flycatcher with large hooked bill. Brownish with paler gray throat, pale yellow belly, and rufous edges on flight feathers and tail. Similar to Ash-throated Flycatcher but has larger bill and different voice. Appears more washed out than Great Crested Flycatcher. Without a good view or hearing it well, sometimes best left unidentified. Widespread throughout Central and South America with limited range in US; found in woodland habitats especially near water. Variety of call notes include a liquid "whip" and various churs and trills.
Identification
Adult brown-crested flycatchers are probably the largest species of the Myiarchus flycatchers but vary considerably in size across their range, those in M. t. tyrannulus averaging rather smaller than the largest which are M. t. magister. They vary in length from 18 to 24 cm (7.1 to 9.4 in), averaging around 20.3 cm (8.0 in) long, and usually average somewhere between 30 and 45 g (1.1 and 1.6 oz), with extreme weighs from around 21 to 50 g (0.74 to 1.76 oz). Brown-crested flycatchers have heavy bills. The upperparts are olive brown, with a darker head and short crest. The breast is grey and the belly is lemon yellow. The brown tail feathers have rufous inner webs, the remiges have rufous outer webs, and there are two dull wing bars. The sexes are similar.<p>The brown-crested flycatcher is best separated from other confusingly similar Myiarchus species by its call, a rough loud "come HERE, come HERE" or "whit-will-do, whit-will-do".
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Myiarchus tyrannulus
- Authority
- (Müller, PLS, 1776)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Myiarchus
Range and habitat
The brown-crested flycatcher breeds in open woodland from southern California, southern Nevada, central Arizona, and southern Texas. It is found in almost all of Brazil, with the exception of some areas of the Amazon southward to Argentina and Bolivia, and on Trinidad and Tobago. It is resident in most of its range, but individuals breeding in the United States retreat to Mexico or southern Florida in winter.<p>This species is a rather skulking insectivore which catches its prey by flycatching amongst the undergrowth. It sometimes eats fruit, such as the "gumbo-limbo", Bursera simaruba. The nest is built in a tree cavity or similar natural or man-made hole, and the normal clutch is two or three purple-marked cream eggs.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Golden-naped Woodpecker
Melanerpes chrysauchen
Medium-sized woodpecker, distinctive in its limited range. Buffy below and black above, with barred black-and-white flanks. White stripe runs down center of back. Head pattern distinctive: black mask, yellow forehead, red crown, and yellow nape. Female similar but has black, not red, on crown. Most similar to Black-cheeked Woodpecker but no range overlap; also compare Hoffmann’s and Red-crowned Woodpeckers (but note Golden-naped’s solid black wings, not barred, and black mask). Found singly or in pairs, usually in forested areas and edges.
Red-eyed Vireo
Vireo olivaceus
Plain olive-green above and whitish below with no wingbars. Red eye of adults is not always easy to see; immatures have brown eyes. Dark stripe through and above eye. Larger and thicker-billed than warblers. Breeds in mature deciduous forest. Often sings nearly nonstop throughout the day; listen for repetitive musical phrases coming from the treetops. Often with flocks of chickadees and warblers during migration. Winters in South America, where it could be confused with the very similar Chivi Vireo, from which it is best distinguished by voice.
Vaux's Swift
Chaetura vauxi
Very small swift with stiff, quick wingbeats. Grayish overall with paler throat and brownish rump. Relatively short-winged and short-tailed compared with other similar swifts. Often in small flocks. Listen for its high-pitched chips and trills. Feeds on aerial insects over a variety of habitats, including forests, fields, towns, and bodies of water. Multiple populations are surely distinct species. Migratory population breeds extensively in the western U.S. and Canada, wintering to Central America. Resident “Richmond’s Swift” occurs through much of Mexico and Central America, and is darker overall than migratory Vaux’s with a more contrasting pale throat and browner rump. There are also resident populations on the Yucatan peninsula and in western Venezuela, for which identification criteria are not well-defined. Range overlaps with several other similar swifts in Mexico and Central America. Vaux’s is smaller with quicker wingbeats than Chimney Swift or Gray-rumped Swift, with higher-pitched calls.
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