Dusky Flycatcher

Empidonax oberholseriOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

Codes: Common Name: DUFL Scientific Name: EMPOBE ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178346

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Overview

Dusky Flycatcher: Small flycatcher with olive-gray upperparts and white or yellow tinged underparts. The upper breast has a pale olive wash. Eye has faint eye-ring. Bill is black except for orange base of lower mandible. The legs and feet are black. Weak fluttering flight with shallow wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Dusky Flycatcher: Breeds from British Columbia and western South Dakota south to southern California, central Arizona, and northern New Mexico. Spends winters south of the U.S.-Mexico border, and rarely in southern California. Preferred habitats include woodlands containing tall trees and tall undergrowth, mountain chaparral, and open, brushy coniferous forests.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"dee-hick", "sill-it, "grrreeep", "pweet", "whit"

Interesting Facts

The scientific name of the Dusky Flycatcher commemorates the American ornithologist Harry Church Oberholser.

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.

Dusky Flycatcher

● Song: "dee-hick", "sill-it, "grrreeep", "pweet", "whit"

● Foraging & Feeding: Dusky Flycatcher: Eats flying insects; forages low over shrubby vegetation.

● Breeding & nesting: Dusky Flycatcher: Three to four white eggs are laid in a neat, twiggy cup set low in the crotch of a shrub or small tree. Incubation ranges from 12 to 16 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Dusky Flycatcher: Hammond’s Flycatcher is smaller and darker below. Gray Flycatcher is grayer above and rangier.

Flight Pattern

Weak fluttering flight with shallow wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Dusky Flycatcher: Breeds from British Columbia and western South Dakota south to southern California, central Arizona, and northern New Mexico. Spends winters south of the U.S.-Mexico border, and rarely in southern California. Preferred habitats include woodlands containing tall trees and tall undergrowth, mountain chaparral, and open, brushy coniferous forests.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationIncreasing

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.4 Ounces

Perching-like Body

Underparts

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

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Lower mandible

The lower 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