Flycatchers are some of the hardest birds to identify. With many of them looking remarkably similar, finding the differences between the species to tell them apart can be near impossible.
That’s why it’s important to learn the subtle flycatcher identification markers so you know what to look for. And with flycatchers, you’ll want to hone in on their individual calls as this may be the only way to identify certain species.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to identify 19 flycatcher species in North America. We’ll cover their range, habitat, description, and call so you’ll know exactly what to look and listen for out in the field.
Flycatchers Overview
Flycatchers belong to the Tyrannidae or Tyrant Flycatchers Family. This family has about 400 species, all of which are found only in the Americas. In the United States and Canada, there are about 33 flycatcher species.
While some flycatchers are easy to identify, such as the scissor-tailed flycatcher, other species are less distinct. In this guide, you’ll find some flycatchers with obvious identification markers, while others require a more keen eye (or ear) for proper identification.
Most flycatchers have a slanted forehead and slightly peaked head feathers, making them easy to recognize as a flycatcher. Determining which flycatcher they are is often the tricky part.
This guide covers Tyrannidae species with ‘flycatcher’ in their common name. Most of these flycatchers are in the Empidonax and Myiarchus genus. This guide does not cover Pewee’s, Phoebe’s, Kingbirds, and other North American Tyrannidae species.
For a complete and in-depth guide to identifying flycatchers, check out the Field Guides to North American Flycatchers by Cin-Ty Lee and Andrew Birch.
Guide to Identifying Flycatchers in North America
Empidonax Flycatchers
1. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Range: Migrates through the central and northeastern United States in mid-to-late-spring to breed across most of Canada.
Habitat: The yellow-bellied flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris) prefers deep woods, forest streamsides, and bogs where it nests on the ground in sphagnum moss.
Description: These small flycatchers have greyish-green yellow on the belly, chest, head, and back. Brighter yellow stripe down the belly and on the throat. Has a distinct white eyering. Dark grey wings with two yellow-white wing bars.
Call: Sharp killic song and a rising 2-note ‘per-wee?’ whistle-like call.
2. Acadian Flycatcher
Range: The Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) migrates across the Gulf of Mexico in spring to breed throughout the Eastern United States.
Habitat: These flycatchers prefer wet deciduous forests and deep woods; forest streamsides, ravines, and beech groves.
Description: Very similar to the yellow-bellied flycatcher, but larger. The easiest way to distinguish these two flycatchers is location (yellow-bellied is north, Acadian is south) and size. Has more white on the belly, a larger bill, and longer wingtips than the yellow-bellied.
Call: High-pitched chips and melodic whistles.
3. Alder Flycatcher
Range: Breeds across most of Canada and Alaska after migrating through the Central and Eastern United States in late spring.
Habitat: These flycatchers prefer wet deciduous forests, especially willow and alder thickets next to streams, rivers, ponds, and bogs.
Description: The Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum) has an olive-toned back and head. White throat and yellow-white belly with a brighter yellow underbelly. Has a subtle pale white-grey neck ring. Dark grey wings with yellow-white wing bars.
Call: Somewhat of a raspy and high-pitched fee-bee song.
4.Willow Flycatcher
Range: These flycatchers migrate throughout the United States to breed in parts of the Great Lakes States, the Northeast, and mountainous areas of the Northwest.
Habitat: The Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) prefers forest streams and marshes, brushy fields, and willow thickets.
Description: Nearly identical to Alder Flycatchers (previously listed as the same species). The best way to distinguish these two flycatchers is location (Alders are mostly in Canada while Willows are more in the United States during breeding season). During migration, song is the only reliable method of identification.
Call: Wheezy wit call and raspy fitz-bew or pit-speer song. I recommend listening closely to their call and the Alder Flycatcher’s songs on a birding app, such as Audubon.
5. Least Flycatcher
Range: The Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) migrates through the central and eastern United States in spring to breed in the Great Lakes region, New England area, and most of Canada.
Habitat: These flycatchers prefer open, mixed decioudous forests, orchards, and woodland edges and clearings.
Description: Similar to the Empidonax flycatchers above, but has more grey-tan plumage, a distinct white eye ring, and white throat and belly. Less yellow and olive tones than the other flycatchers. This flycatcher is most distinguished by its call.
Call: Repetitive and loud che-bec song.
6. Hammond’s Flycatcher
Range: Migrates in spring across the southwestern United States to breed in the northwestern United States and Western Canada up into central Alaska.
Habitat: Unlike other Empidonax flycatchers, the Hammond’s Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii) prefers high-altitude mixed conifer forests.
Description: Olive to dark-gray back and head with light gray to white throat and chest. Yellowish-white underbelly. Short black bill, white eye-ring, and white wing bars. This flycatcher is darker and more gray than the flycatchers described above. Its most distinct characteristic is its long primary feathers and short secondary feathers.
Call: Rising seweep with descending tsurp song. High-pitched peep and ser-weewhip call.
7. Gray Flycatcher
Range: The Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii) winters in southern Arizona and northern Mexico. In early spring, it migrates a short distance to the Great Basin region of the western United States.
Habitat: High desert sagebrush; open pinyon pine and juniper woods. Prefers a much more arid climate than most Empidonax flycatchers.
Description: Small with light gray to pale olive back and head. White throat and grayish white belly with a subtle yellow underbelly. Long, thin bill, shorter primary feathers, pale eye ring, and habitat distinguishes this flycatcher from the Hammond’s flycatcher. Plus, this flycatcher dips its tail down like a phoebe, while most Empidonax flycatchers flip their tail up.
Call: High-pitched chi-wip.
8. Dusky Flycatcher
Range: Winters in northern Mexico and migrates in mid spring to the Northwestern United States and western Canada. The Dusky Flycatcher (Empidonax oberholseri) breeds throughout the Rocky Mountains, Great Basin region, and across the Cascade Mountains.
Habitat: Mountain and foothill chaparral, scrubland, open conifer forests, aspen groves, and streamside thickets.
Description: Very similar to the Hammond’s and Gray Flycatcher. According to the Audubon field guide, “Bill and tail slightly longer than Hammond’s Flycatcher, shorter than Gray Flycatcher.” Shorter primary feathers than the Hammond’s; doesn’t bob its tail down like the Gray.
Call: Song is a series of high-pitched chips and treeps. Has a sharp hi-there, hi-there hi-hi-hi-there call.
9. Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Range: The Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis) breeds along the west coast from Southern California to Canada. Winters in western and southern Mexico.
Habitat: Prefers mixed and damp conifer-deciduous forests, coastal mountains, and canyon groves.
Description: Previously listed as the same species as the Cordilleran Flycatcher. They were known as the ‘Western Flycatcher’ before the two flycatchers were split into separate species. Olive-tan to yellow head and back with a yellow-grey thoat. Grey on the sides of the chest and belly with a distinct yellow stripe down the center. Teardrop-shaped eyering.
Call: High-pitched and sharp pseet-ptsick-seet song and pee-eet call.
10. Cordilleran Flycatcher
Range: Breeds from Southern Arizona and New Mexico up to northern Idaho and Montana.
Habitat: The Cordilleran Flycatcher (Empidonax occidentalis) prefers mountainous forests of mixed conifer, damp woods, and shady canyons.
Description: Identical to the Pacific-slope Flycatcher. The only way to distinguish the two flycatchers is habitat (Cordilleran is interior mountain forests while Pacific-slope is coastal mountain forests) and call.
Call: High whistles followed by short chirps song. High-pitched Seet-seet followed by lower-pitched weep-weep-weep call.
11. Buff-breasted Flycatcher
Range: Breeds in southern Arizona and parts of northwestern Mexico. The Buff-breasted Flycatcher (Empidonax fulvifrons) is a year-long resident in certain parts of mid-western and southern Mexico.
Habitat: Prefers open pine-oak forests in mountain canyons.
Description: Varies from pale to bright yellow; sometimes has cinnamon tones mixed with the yellow on its face, throat, chest, and belly. More brownish-tan overall than the other Empidonax flycatchers.Has a white eye ring, a tan-grey head and back, and dark grey wings with white wing bars.
Call: Has a short chee-lick call.
Myiarchus Flycatchers
12. Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Range: Breeds in parts of the southwestern United States. Otherwise, the Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer) is a permanent resident in parts of Mexico, Central America, and much of Northern South America.
Habitat: Open pine-oak and juniper mountains and canyons in the United States and northern Mexico.
Description: Distinct yellow underbelly, whitish-grey chest and throat with grey-green head and back. Has some rust coloring on the outer edges of it’s primary and tail feathers.
Call: High whistle and trill with a ‘rolling r’ or purr song.
13. Ash-throated Flycatcher
Range: The Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) breeds throughout Mexico, the southwestern United States, and up into Northern California and Southern Oregon. Year-round resident in southern Arizona, California, and northwestern Mexico.
Habitat: Prefers lowland habitats of the arid southwest; deserts, brush and mesquite groves, and open pinyon-juniper woods.
Description: Very similar to the Dusky-capped Flycatcher, but with paler yellow on the underbelly, white-grey throat, and more noticeable rust-coloring on the primary feathers.
Call: Purr-like song and high trill call with a “ka-brick!”
14. Great Crested Flycatcher
Range: Breeds throughout the Central and Eastern United States.
Habitat: The Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) prefers deciduous and mixed forests where it spends most of its time high in the canopy.
Description: Bright yellow underbelly, distinct grey face, throat, and chest. Olive-toned head and back with a noticeable peaked crown. Rusty-brown primary and tail feathers. Distinguishable from Dusky-capped Flycatchers by range and habitat.
Call: Soft prrt-prrt followed by high-pitched wee-ip song. Has various prrt calls, some louder and lower pitched.
15. Brown-crested Flycatcher
Range: The Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus) breeds in parts of the Southwestern United States, mostly southern Arizona. Year-long resident in parts of Mexico.
Habitat: Prefers dry woodlands, river groves, sycamore canyons, and cottonwood stands along rivers and streams.
Description: Very similar to Ash-throated Flycatchers but with a bushier head crest, bigger bill, and brighter yellow underbelly.
Call: Various trills and purreeer songs with sharp wit-wit-wit calls.
Other North American Flycatchers
The following flycatchers do not belong to the same genus. Rather, they are included in this list because they share the common ‘flycatcher’ name. They also happen to be some of the easiest flycatchers to identify.
16. Olive-sided Flycatcher
Range: Olived-sided flycatchers (Contopus cooperi) can be spotted throughout the United States and Mexico during migration in late spring and early fall. Breeds in the Pacific Northwest, parts of the Rocky Mountains, across most of Canada, and southern parts of Alaska.
Habitat: Prefers semi-open areas and forest edges where it can perch and sing at the top of a dead or living tree. Often found in burn areas and conifer forests.
Description: Dark gray head, back, and wings with a white throat. The belly is mottled gray with a white stripe down the center. The head appears large for the body size.
Call: Has a quick-three-beers song and a pip-pip-pip call that resembles a robin call.
17. Vermilion Flycatcher
Range: Permanent resident throughout most of Mexico and parts of the Southwestern United States. Breeds in parts of southern Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Habitat: Prefers shrubs and trees along streams, rivers, and ponds in arid habitats; grasslands, deserts, and ranches.
Description: Male Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) has a bright red-orange belly, chest, and head with a striking black eye stripe. Black to dark grey back and wings. The female is mostly grey-tan all around with a subtle yellow underbelly and whiteish-grey chest with faint streaks.
Call: Series of high-pitched and rapid pip-pip-pip-peeit songs.
18. Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher
Range: The Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (Myiodynastes luteiventris) migrates from South America to breed throughout Mexico and parts of southern Arizona.
Habitat: Prefers mountainous sycamore-walnut canyons and streamside cottonwood groves.
Description: Large flycatcher with unmistakable chest streaks and yellow underbelly. Head and back are tan-grey and heavily streaked. These flycatchers have a white-grey face with a dark eye streak.
Call: Distinct “squeaky toy” call.
19. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Range: Breeds in northeastern Mexico, throughout Texas and Oklahoma, and into parts of the bordering states.
Habitat: The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus)can be found in semi-open country, grasslands, roadsides, farms, and ranches.
Description: Long scissor-like tail feathers are unmistakable in flight, making these flycatchers easy to identify. White throat, chest, and belly with a light grey head and back. Dark grey wings and tail feathers with soft peach coloring on the shoulders, underbelly, and the underside of the wings.
Call: Muffled and garbled kee-kee-ke-eek song
Final Thoughts
Flycatchers are beautiful migratory birds that fly to various parts of North America to breed. They are distinct with their peaked and large heads, making them easy to spot in the field. Some flycatchers are unmistakable with their bright colors and loud calls.
However, they are also some of the hardest North American birds to identify at the species level. With your ear tuned to their songs and your eyes keen to their subtle differences, you’ll soon be able to identify the flycatcher before you. But, if they’re quiet, it might be best to shrug your shoulders and leave it at “flycatcher.”
If you liked this identification guide, check out one of our others on Corvidae in North America.
