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Brown-crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus tyrannulusOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

Brown-crested Flycatcher Portrait
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General

Brown-crested Flycatcher: Medium-sized flycatcher with olive-brown upperparts, yellow underparts, and pale gray throat. Bill is long, stout, and solid black. Wings have rufous patches. Tail is long and rufous. Sexes are similar.

Range and Habitat

Brown-crested Flycatcher: Breeds from southern California, southern Nevada, central Arizona, and southern Texas southward. Spends winters mainly south of the U.S.-Mexico border; few winter in southern Florida. Preferred habitats include arid lands in areas with cacti or large trees.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"come HERE- come HERE", " whit-will-do, whit-will-do", "wit"

Interesting Facts

 The Brown-crested Flycatcher’s former name, "Wied's Crested Flycatcher," was in honor of Prince Maximilian of Wied, a German naturalist and traveler in early-19th-century America.

 Cicadas are an important food item, but they prefer the silent, egg-laden females. Male cicadas let loose with a tirade of buzzing when caught and the flycatchers often release them in response.

 They are about 10% larger than the Ash-throated Flycatcher in most dimensions, but their bill is larger by 25%, with a more prominent hook.

 A group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including an "outfield", "swatting", "zapper", and "zipper" of flycatchers.



Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Brown-crested Flycatcher
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family Flycatcher (Tyrannidae)_blue
Species Myiarchus tyrannulus
Length8.75 Inches
Wingspan13 Inches

Brown-crested Flycatcher

Brown-crested Flycatcher: Medium-sized flycatcher with olive-brown upperparts, yellow underparts, and pale gray throat. Bill is long, stout, and solid black. Wings have rufous patches. Tail is long and rufous. Legs and feet are black. Direct flight with rapid wing beats. Hovers and dips for prey.

● Song: "come HERE- come HERE", " whit-will-do, whit-will-do", "wit"

● Foraging & Feeding: Brown-crested Flycatcher: Feeds on insects, berries, and other fruits; has been observed eating hummingbirds.

● Breeding & nesting: Brown-crested Flycatcher: Three to six white to buff eggs with brown and lavender blotches are laid in a nest lined with feathers, fibers, and hairs, and built in a tree cavity, cactus, or on a fence post. Incubation ranges from 13 to 15 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Brown-crested Flycatcher: Great Crested has darker gray throat and breast and rust-brown tail. Ash-throated has paler yellow underparts and rust-brown tail.

Flight Pattern

Buoyant flight with steady fast wing beats.
Brown-crested Flycatcher Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Brown-crested Flycatcher: Breeds from southern California, southern Nevada, central Arizona, and southern Texas southward. Spends winters mainly south of the U.S.-Mexico border; few winter in southern Florida. Preferred habitats include arid lands in areas with cacti or large trees.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationFairly common
MigrationMigratory
Weight1.5 Ounces