Gray Flycatcher

Empidonax wrightiiOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

Codes: Common Name: GRFL Scientific Name: EMPWRI ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178347

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Gray Flycatcher: Small flycatcher with gray or olive-gray upperparts and pale gray underparts. Eye-ring is white. Upper mandible is dark gray, while lower mandible is pale pink with black tip. Wings are dark with two white bars. The tail is long, dark, and has white edges. Legs and feet are black.

Range and Habitat

Gray Flycatcher: Breeds from southern Washington and southwestern Wyoming south to eastern California, central Arizona, and central New Mexico. Spends winters in southern California and southern Arizona. Sagebrush and pinyon-juniper woodlands are preferred habitats.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"chiwip", "chi-bit", "whit"

Interesting Facts

The Gray Flycatcher was not recognized as breeding in the United States until the early 20th century. Before that time it was thought to breed in northern Mexico and to wander northward in the fall.

The similarity of Gray and Dusky flycatchers has caused confusion for a long time. In fact, the specimen designated as the "type" for Dusky Flycatcher was actually a Gray Flycatcher. The current scientific name of the Gray, E. wrightii was the scientific name of the Dusky Flycatcher for many years.

Other Empidonax flycatchers, if they wag their tails, will wag them by jerking them up and then lowering them. A Gray Flycatcher, in contrast, will gently lower its tail, then raise it.

A group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including an "outfield", "swatting", "zapper", and "zipper" of flycatchers.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Gray Flycatcher

● Song: "chiwip", "chi-bit", "whit"

● Foraging & Feeding: Gray Flycatcher: Hunts from a perch and catches food in mid-air or on the ground. Diet consists mainly of small insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, and moths.

● Breeding & nesting: Gray Flycatcher: Three or four creamy white eggs are laid in a grass-woven cup nest built low in a sagebrush or small tree. Eggs are incubated for approximately 14 days by the female.

● Similar species: Gray Flycatcher: Most flycatchers are so similar in appearance that it is nearly impossible to tell them apart by sight alone without a bird in hand. However, their distinct songs and calls along with habitat are good diagnostics.

Flight Pattern

Weak fluttering flight with shallow wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Gray Flycatcher: Breeds from southern Washington and southwestern Wyoming south to eastern California, central Arizona, and central New Mexico. Spends winters in southern California and southern Arizona. Sagebrush and pinyon-juniper woodlands are preferred habitats.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationFairly common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.4 Ounces

Perching-like Body

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Lower mandible

The lower part of the bill.

Upper mandible

The upper part of the bill.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Gray Flycatcher

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Range and Habitat

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

Interesting Facts

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Related Birds

Gray Flycatcher

Flight Pattern