American dusky flycatcher

I'm having a bit of trouble with this little somewhat nondescript bird.. I think it may be a Pacific slope flycatcher, but there are several species that overlap and look very similar. The good news my husband made a sound recording of the little guy too - so I may be able to differentiate it by it's call.

My husband and I sat down with his recording and the xeno-canto website Ferdy pointed me to and I'm now somewhat confidant that this is a Cordilleran flycatcher - it still looks a titch outside the reported range, but really not by much at all.. (my eyes are good, but so much for my ears :p... see update below)

Here's his recording - http://www.xeno-canto.org/370066 and it's this particular bird even :) -he's put it up as unknown on xeno-canto in the hopes we can get some confirmation. We really think it's either cordilleran or pacific slope. LOL - the recording comes through and it's one that I hadn't even short listed... American dusky flycatcher.

comments (12)

Ferdy Christant

Lion

I'm having this exact issue with many birds from Colombia, so many white-yellowish look-a-likes. Have you got a short-list narrowed down? I've found that in this group, the bill is a key identifier, sometimes along with the color of the eyes and the legs, but that's all pretty generic advise. Posted 8 years ago
1. morpheme
  
  Lion
  
  Yeah -I'm pretty sure it is a flycatcher and I've found that there about 4-5 species that are lookalike. My thoughts are that it could be pacific slope, willow, alder or hammonds flycatcher. The expert text mentions that they all look nearly identical... but that it may be possible to tell them apart by call and possibly habitat. I've got it posted to Cornell's flickr group to see if anyone over there might have some insight. I'll need to get my husband to send me the recording in a format I can post up somewhere on the internet to see if that yields any results. Posted 8 years ago, modified 8 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    Ok, looks like you're already beyond visual matching, did not know that :)
    I see this site mentioned a lot regarding bird sounds, maybe you already know it:
    http://www.xeno-canto.org/ Posted 8 years ago
  2. 1. morpheme
      
      Lion
      
      I haven't seen that before. I'll definitely let my husband know about it - he's the one who is into sound recordings. Maybe I can get him posting too :). Posted 8 years ago

Claire Hamilton

Lion

I am looking at the markings around the eye/beak and wondering if this is possibly a 'Least flycatcher'??
https://www.sdakotabirds.com/species/least_flycatcher_info.htm
http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/least-flycatcher
Just a thought, this one has really stumped me!
Posted 8 years ago
1. morpheme
  
  Lion
  
  That one could definitely go on the list, though probably a little less likely than the others, as he'd be out, if not very far from, of his typical range. It seems like his call will be the key to this one. If I get the sound file from my husband I will probably have more luck with this less than distinctive little fellow. Posted 8 years ago
2. 1. Claire Hamilton
    
    Lion
    
    Ah, didn't think of that! Good luck though, such a pretty little thing! Posted 8 years ago

Barry

Lion

Empidonax flycatchers are legendarily difficult to identify. I always laugh when I read in Bird Watching periodicals that they have split them into yet another indistinguishable species - as if we need more! Posted 6 years ago
1. morpheme
  
  Lion
  
  I have to wonder that when someday everything has been DNA sequenced, that it won't all be shaken up again... Posted 6 years ago

Barry

Lion

Well, having done my PhD in molecular genetics, sequencing DNA will not actually solve the problem as the DNA sequence doesn't actually tell you what are separate species. So humans share about 98% of our DNA with Chimps, but we are clearly separate species. Many birds look different but will mate when their ranges overlap, so are they or are they not separate species? Just look at the Northern/Baltimore/Bullocks Oriole business that keeps changing every few years. I don't think that DNA sequencing will solve that problem. Posted 6 years ago
1. morpheme
  
  Lion
  
  LOL.. the world will never know eh? I've always been taught that it's mainly about whether or not fertile offspring can and are produced that makes a "species", but then there's rule breakers like ducks that seem to hybridize easily and often produce fertile offspring... Posted 6 years ago

Barry

Lion

Yes, well that is the definition that I was taught as well. However, it seems that current research has noted that there may be more to speciation than just no fertile offspring. I think that everyone is realizing that speciation, like most things, is not a yes/no thing and that there is a gradual process before two groups of organisms cannot produce fertile offspring at all. The question is - where do you draw the line? Some different groups produce fertile offspring, but they are not as viable as those from within the groups - so is this speciation, or almost speciation? Posted 6 years ago

The American dusky flycatcher

The American dusky flycatcher, or simply dusky flycatcher, is a small, insectivorous passerine of the tyrant flycatcher family.

The dusky flycatcher is one of many species in the genus ''Empidonax''. These species are very similar in appearance and behavior, and they are notoriously difficult to differentiate. The best characteristics for distinguishing these species are voice, breeding habitat, and range.

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Similar species: Perching Birds

Species identified by morpheme

By morpheme

Uploaded May 9, 2017. Captured May 7, 2017 10:28 in Unnamed Road, Ellensburg, WA 98926, USA.

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