Monday, August 26, 2024

Unidentified late summer flycatcher

Even with my new North American Flycatchers field guide, I am unable to identify this little flycatcher.  It was quite far away for these photographs.  It was also actively flycatching so it did not remain perched long enough for me to move closer, or give an opportunity for views of the wings.  This bird was seen at the lake community I belong to and which I have visited about a half-dozen times this summer.  

Small bird, slightly flat to rounded head, sloped forehead, both mandibles dark, no eye ring, shortish to medium primary projection, medium (?) length tail, brown buffy breast, brown-toned in color overall.  

I believe I saw Eastern Phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) in this location earlier in the season.  But Cin-Ty Lee's book does not include Sayornis flycatchers.  Maybe it should have?  Anyway the forehead slope does not appear right for Eastern Phoebe, but the all-dark bill does.  This bird was not doing any tail pumping.


I have heard Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii) vocalizing here which, for the habitat, seemed right..  The habitat is also perfect for Eastern Wood Pewee (Contopus virens) (Cin-Ty Lee, pages 68-70), although I don't recall hearing Eastern Wood pewee vocalizations over the summer, I may have just tuned them out secondary to my expectation that Eastern Wood pewees would, absolutely, be present.   

If someone said to me that I must identify this bird or else, my guess would be first year Eastern Wood Pewee.  This ID does not account for the dark bill or some other field marks, but as a first year bird, adult field marks may not yet be in place.  It wouldn't take much arm twisting to convince me that it's an Eastern Phoebe.  Too bad I did not get a photo of the wings.  Suggestions and corrections are always welcome.

In an earlier post I gave a very positive review for the Field Guide to North American Flycatchers Empidonax and Pewees by Cin-Ty Lee. When I sat down to actually use it, it was somewhat hard.  I stand by my review, but it will take time to become accostumed to the structure of this guide.  I can't really see its practicality in the field but that may be me.  I'm just not very quick.  But, when good photos are being evaluated (mine are not good), I think the likelihood of a difficult identification being correctly made will be greatly enhanced by this field guide.

No comments: