Olive-sided Flycatcher

Contopus cooperi 

Appearance:
Bulky flycatcher
Short tail
Large head
Dark olive face, upperparts and flanks
Light underparts
Dark bill

Listen to its call. 

This flycatcher was perched at the top of a tall tree waiting to catch insects as they flew by.  Its distinctive "quick-three-beers" song made identification easy for a change.

Learn more about the Olive-sided Flycatcher. 

Black Phoebe

Sayornis nigricans

Appearance:
Medium-sized flycatcher
Large head
Medium-long, squared tail
Slight peak at rear of crown
Straight, thin bill
Dark charcoal gray upperparts and chest
Darker black head
White belly
Pale grey edges on wing feathers

Listen to its call. 

A rarity for Victoria, one of these birds has been hanging around Maber Flats lately. Unfortunately, I needed a scope to see that bird making it impossible to take a decent photo. Luckily, I did have this one in my photo library taken a few years ago in San Diego. 

Learn more about the Black Phoebe.

Tropical Kingbird

Tyrannus melancholicus 

Appearance:
Large flycatcher
Heavy gray bill
Gray head
Darker eye mask
Grayish-green back
Brown wings and  tail
Pale throat
Bright yellow underparts

Listen to its call.

This photogenic bird was hanging out in Ten Mile Point last weekend. Although a rarity to the area, records of Tropical Kingbird sightings occur annually in southwestern BC.

Learn more about the Tropical Kingbird.

Willow Flycatcher

Empidonax traillii

Appearance:
Small flycatcher
Broad bill
Grey upper mandible / pale lower mandible
Minimal (or absent) eye-ring
Olive-brown upperparts
White throat
Whitish underparts
Dark wings with two white wing bars
Immature: (photographed)
     Yellower underparts
     Buff coloured wing bars

Listen to its call.

My first year birding, I took a picture of a Empidonax flycatcher that I wasn't able to identify. Although I felt discouraged by this at the time, I have now learned that their identification is among the most difficult for birders. It is so difficult, in fact, that the bander of this bird had to use a mathematical formula to confirm its identity. This involved comparison of the ratios of and differences between measurements of the bird’s body parts (bill length and width, wing length, tail length, etc). 

Learn more about the Willow Flycatcher. 

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Empidonax difficilis

Appearance: 
Small flycatcher 
Pale yellow to white, teardropped shaped eye-ring
Two white wingbars 
Greenish-brown back 
Yellowish underparts 
Yellow lower mandible
Immature:
     Wingbars buffy in colour

Listen to its song.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of volunteering at RPBO's banding site for the first time.  I thoroughly enjoyed the experience with one exception.  The 5 am start time was for the birds!

Not only is the experience helping with my bird identification, I'm also learning a lot about aging the birds.  This little flycatcher was one of the many birds that stopped in for a visit. Its buffy wingbars identify it as a juvenile. 

Learn more about the Pacific-slope Flycatcher. 

Additional pictures:

very young juvenile; still covered in down

Say's Phoebe

Sayornis saya

Appearance:

Medium-sized flycatcher
Pale brownish-gray upperparts
Pale rufous belly and undertail
Long, black tail

Listen to its call.

This bird was spotted yesterday on Mount Tolmie in a Garry Oak meadow. I love the fact that the Rare Bird Alert on eBird indicates where interesting birds have been sighted. Whenever I see a report of one that's not on my blog yet, I rush right over hoping to snap a picture. Of course, I'm not always successful in my quest but it does make things a lot easier.



Learn more about the Say's Phoebe.

Hammond's Flycatcher

Empidonax hammondii

Appearance:
Greyish-green with wing-bars
Yellowish wash on belly
Dusky grey chest
Grey head
Distinct, white eye-ring
Short, dark bill
Short tail
Long wings

Listen to its call.

While staying with family at a cottage on the Shuswap last week, one of the children heard a sharp 'peek'ing sound and spotted a baby bird on the ground. It was probably only a week or two old. Its feathers were not yet fully formed and its tail was just beginning to grow, so it was not yet able to fly. We noticed the parents flitting around the area keeping an eye on the little one. After determining that the juvenile wasn't hurt or in danger, we left them in peace. The next time we checked on the birds, a second baby had appeared and the parents were leading the two of them to a new location ... on foot.  So cute!

Learn more about the Hammond's Flycatcher.

Additional photos:

Empidonax Flycatcher

Appearance:

Small bird

Olive-gray upperparts

Yellowish-white underparts

Two pale wing-bars

White eye-ring

There are between eleven and fifteen different species of Empidonax Flycatchers (depending on which book you read), five of which are found in Victoria. They all look very much alike; apparently they are best identified by their voice. Unfortunately, not being up on my Flycatcher knowledge, I wasn't paying much attention to this bird's song while chasing it around with my camera. So, to be on the safe side, I'm going to following the recommendation of Kenn Kaufman and just call it an Empid.

Learn more about Empidonax Flycatchers.