Notes from the Station

Meet the birds we study in our landbird banding program at Coyote Creek Field Station

Willow Flycatcher

Picture

Species: Willow Flycatcher
Most recent capture date: 8/31/2022
Age: less than 7 months old

Notes: The Willow Flycatcher can be distinguished (on the west coast) from “Western” Flycatchers by their lack of an eyering. (“Western” Flycatchers are either Pacific-slope or Cordilleran Flycatchers, which are hard to tell apart.) East coast Willow Flycatchers are trickier, and closely resemble Alder Flycatchers to the point that those two species also have an umbrella name for the both of them, “Traill’s” Flycatcher, to use when you can’t distinguish them. There is a reason that Empidonax flycatchers have a reputation among birders…