Variegated Flycatcher

Empidonomus variusOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

Codes: Common Name: VAFL Scientific Name: EMPVAR ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178382

Breeding Location:

Forest edge, Forest

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Solitary nester

Breeding Population:

Accidental in North America

Egg Color:

White to pale buff, heavily spotted with red brown

Number of Eggs:

3 - 4

Incubation Days:

14 - 16

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Twigs, bark, leaf stems, and grasses.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Variegated Flycatcher: Medium-sized flycatcher with dark brown-and-black scaled upperparts, thick, dark brown eye-line on pale face, thin brown moustache stripe, and dark-streaked, pale yellow underparts. Wing feathers are dark with pale edges. Tail feathers are dark with thick rufous edges. Upper mandible is black, lower mandible is dark with yellow base. Sexes are similar.

Range and Habitat

Variegated Flycatcher: Accidental in North America; recorded in Maine, Tennessee, and Florida (Florida record remains questionable). Uncommon to common in South America.

Breeding and Nesting

Variegated Flycatcher: Three to four white to pale buff eggs heavily spotted with red brown are laid in a cup nest made of twigs, bark, leaf stems, and grass, and built on a horizontal tree branch 8 to 25 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 14 to 16 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Variegated Flycatcher: Eats mostly insects, berries, and fruits; forages from a low perch, flying out to catch insects in mid-air, and then returning to perch to eat.

Readily Eats

Meal Worms

Vocalization

Variegated Flycatcher: Makes a gently whistled, high "zreeeee." Also utters an abrasive "chee-chee-chuuuuuuu."

Similar Species

Variegated Flycatcher: Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher is larger, has brighter yellow underparts more heavily streaked with brown, more rufous on tail and rump, and wider moustache stripe.

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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.

Variegated Flycatcher

Variegated Flycatcher: Medium flycatcher, dark brown-and-black scaled upperparts, brown eye-line on pale face, thin brown moustache stripe, dark-streaked, pale yellow underparts. Dark pale edged wing feathers. Dark tail feathers with thick rufous edges. Eats insects, berries, fruits.

● Song: "zreeeee", "chee-chee-chuuuuuuu"

● Foraging & Feeding: Variegated Flycatcher: Eats mostly insects, berries, and fruits; forages from a low perch, flying out to catch insects in mid-air, and then returning to perch to eat.

● Breeding & nesting: Variegated Flycatcher: Three to four white to pale buff eggs heavily spotted with red brown are laid in a cup nest made of twigs, bark, leaf stems, and grass, and built on a horizontal tree branch 8 to 25 feet above the ground. Incubation ranges from 14 to 16 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Variegated Flycatcher: Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher is larger, has brighter yellow underparts more heavily streaked with brown, more rufous on tail and rump, and wider moustache stripe.

Flight Pattern

Weak fluttering direct flight on shallow wing beats., Sallies from perch to hawk insects and returns to the same or nearby perch.

Variegated Flycatcher Breeding Male Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Variegated Flycatcher: Accidental in North America; recorded in Maine, Tennessee, and Florida (Florida record remains questionable). Uncommon to common in South America.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationAccidental in North America

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight1 Ounces

Underparts

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

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

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