My smartphone, knowing I am interested in birds, alerted me to a new book about flycatchers, Field Guide to North American Flycatchers, and now I own a copy.
Flycatchers are common in Thurston County, but they are often difficult to identify. I hoped this new field guide would provide some useful tips that I could pass along about this identification challenge, but I was disappointed.
Not that the book fails in its central mission of providing criteria that are useful in separating the North American flycatcher species, as well as the similar-in-appearance peewees. Rather, it succeeds too well, overwhelming the reader with so much detail that it is difficult to separate out the essential identification tools that one might find most useful. Fortunately, however, the illustrations are beautiful.
Reading the details about each species is certainly interesting (and entertaining for some birders, I presume) and it is remarkable how much data about migration timing and direction are available. For example, here is the page for Pacific-Slope Flycatcher, one of our most common flycatcher species.
But it would have been more useful if it provided a readable summary of basic identification for each species. For example, using this page you can see that this species arrives in June and leaves in August, and therefore we know when to look for them. And we could infer that they have only one brood of young.
There are many subtle physical differences between these various flycatcher species, from bill color pattern to wing length to the presence or absence of an eye ring. But lacking a clear and easy to understand field guide, the best and easiest identification features are voice and location.
(In May 2022, I wrote a column titled “Flycatchers.” This column supplements the 2022 discussion, but you might usefully review that column for its basic information.)
There are four species of flycatchers that you are likely to encounter in Thurston County and they can be distinguished by voice and habitat preferences. The first is Willow Flycatcher, the only species found in the open. They hunt insects from low branches or other large stems. They frequently vocalize a bold “FITZ-brrew” call.
Another species, the Olive-sided Flycatcher, also perches out in the open but always toward the top of large trees, usually conifers. Its call is distinctive, “quick three-beers” and sometimes just “three-beers.” They look like they are wearing a brown vest that contrasts with their white belly.
There are two species of flycatchers found in the woodlands and frequently seen flying in the understory of large trees. The most common is the Pacific-slope Flycatcher, formerly called Western Flycatcher. The most reliable identification criteria is its call, “PE-u-WEEET,” sounding vaguely like a wolf whistle. These birds may venture out from the woodlands and might nest in an abandoned shed.
Hammond’s Flycatcher is only found in thick wooded areas and usually seen in shadows. It is greyer than the Pacific-slope’s greenish, but often, color differences are impossible to see. But, fortunately, the Hammond’s has its own distinctive vocalization, a quick two notes, “whit-burr” or sometimes “burr-tic.”
Finally, you might encounter a similar species in wooded areas, the Western Wood-Peewee. This bird also makes its living by catching insects up in trees. It’s difficult to get a good look, so you have to depend on vocalization. Its primary call is a loud “BREeer” and sometimes a short “pee” note. The classic “pee-wee” call the species is named for is limited to its eastern relative and if you think you hear that note, it might be an abbreviated Olive-sided Flycatcher call.
So, there you are – suggestions for quickly identifying our resident flycatchers and a reference book that will tell you more than you might ever want to know about these common but subtle summer visitors.
George Walter is environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department; he also has a 40+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com
Photos for my columns are provided by Liam Hutcheson, a 17-year-old Olympia area birder and avid photographer.
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johngreen
The only bird harder to ID than flycatchers are gulls or maybe shorebirds in nonbreeding plumage.
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