Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Overview

The yellow-bellied flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris) is a small insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Greenish upperparts and yellowish underparts, particularly on the throat, with a dusky wash on the chest.
• White or yellow eye ring and white or yellowish wing bars that contrast strongly against black wings.
• A broad, flat bill with a dark upper mandible and an orange-pink lower mandible, along with a relatively short tail.
• Song described as a rough, descending "tse-berk", distinct from the snappier "che-bek" of the least flycatcher.

Habitat

Breeding habitats consist of wet northern woods, especially spruce bogs, across Canada and the northeastern United States. The species migrates to southern Mexico and Central America.

Diet

These birds wait on a perch low or in the middle of a tree and fly out to catch insects in flight, sometimes hovering over foliage. They occasionally consume berries or seeds.

Did you know?

DNA testing in 2014 confirmed that the extent of buffy edging on the secondaries is a reliable field mark to distinguish this species from the western flycatcher.