Least Flycatcher

Empidonax minimusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

Codes: Common Name: LEFL Scientific Name: EMPMIN ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178344

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Overview

Least Flycatcher: Small flycatcher with olive-gray upperparts, gray breast, and pale yellow belly. Eye-ring is white. The bill has pale lower mandible with dark tip. Legs and feet are black. Feeds on insects, spiders, berries and seeds. Weak fluttering direct flight with shallow wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Least Flycatcher: Breeds from southern Yukon to northern Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, south to southern British Columbia, northeastern Wyoming, eastern Nebraska, southern Missouri, south-central Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and to southern Appalachians; winters from northern Mexico to Nicaragua. Widely distributed in open country; prefers shade trees and orchards in villages and city parks, and along rural roadsides and woodland borders.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"chee-BECK", "whitt-whitt-whitt"

Interesting Facts

The Least Flycatcher was first described in 1843 by Spencer Fullerton Baird, an American ornithologist and ichthyologist. It is also called Chebec, after the sound it makes.

Unlike most species of songbird, adults migrate to their wintering grounds before molting, while young birds molt before and during autumn migration.

An incubating bird is surprisingly tame and will often allow itself to be touched or even lifted off the nest, however with other birds it is aggressive and has been known to attack Brown-headed Cowbirds.

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

Bird Term Glossary

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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.

Least Flycatcher

● Song: "chee-BECK", "whitt-whitt-whitt"

● Foraging & Feeding: Least Flycatcher: Feeds on insects, some spiders, and a few berries and seeds; forages from branches and foliage by perching to spot prey, and then flying out to catch it in mid-air.

● Breeding & nesting: Least Flycatcher: Three to six creamy white eggs are laid in a nest made of grass, bark strips, twigs, lichens, and plant fibers, bound by spider or caterpillar webs, and built in a tree or shrub 2 to 60 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 12 to 17 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Least Flycatcher: Willow, Acadian, and Alder flycatchers are larger with heavier bills, greener upperparts, longer primary extensions, and different voices.

Flight Pattern

Weak fluttering direct flight with shallow wing beats., Sallies to take insects in-flight and returns to same or nearby perch.

Least Flycatcher Spring Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Least Flycatcher: Breeds from southern Yukon to northern Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, south to southern British Columbia, northeastern Wyoming, eastern Nebraska, southern Missouri, south-central Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and to southern Appalachians; winters from northern Mexico to Nicaragua. Widely distributed in open country; prefers shade trees and orchards in villages and city parks, and along rural roadsides and woodland borders.

^BreedingMonogamous, Small colonies, Semicolonial

^Population

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.4 Ounces

Perching-like Body

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

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