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Re: Re: Empid question

Richard,

I've read your posts regarding your empid, and would suggest a bit of caution. Even the most experienced birders can rarely be 100% certain about the i.d. of a non-calling empid off of the breeding grounds.

Here are my thoughts after reading your messages:

First, the habitat the bird is in means nothing this time of year - during migration all empids can be in any habitat. Today I saw both Gray and Hammond's Flycatchers at the Garr Ranch on Antelope Island, in habitat that would not be considered "correct" for either one. Nor would either of these birds be found in the same habitat during the breeding season - they are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Gray is normally in very dry, sagebrush and pinyon-juniper habitats, and Hammond's in high altitude coniferous forests.

Second, Willow Flycatchers are very late arrivals - among the last of the empids to reach Utah. They are normally only now arriving in extreme southern Utah (sometimes they don't reach St. George until the 15th of May or later). They usually don't show up in northern Utah until the end of May.

Third, the bird you describe sounds more like a Gray Flycatcher to me. The long-tailed, long-billed look is better for Gray than Willow, which has tail and bill that look more proportional. The fact that you saw an eye ring at all is better for something other than Willow, which often has almost no eye ring at this time of year. The yellow lower mandible is not diagnostic for Willow, as Gray and Cordilleran both have lower mandibles that are almost entirely yellow as well. Even some Dusky Flycatchers can have mostly yellow lower mandibles. A better character to notice is the width of the bill - both Willow and Cordilleran have wide bills, while the others have narrow bills.

From what I've seen over the past few days, there seem to be quite a few Gray Flycatchers migrating through northern Utah right now. If you'd like, I can send you a picture of one I saw Tuesday on Antelope Island.

In spite of the flooding, in must be exciting to be having so many great yard birds!

Mark Stackhouse
801-487-9453 (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA)
011-52-323-285-1243 (San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico)

On May 10, 2005, at 8:25 PM, Richard Wood wrote:

Hi all,

I went out again before dinner and got a scope view of my Empid. I saw that
his bill was black on the top and orangish on the bottom, which would make
him a Willow Flycatcher, which is a year bird and a lifer for me in Utah.

After dinner, Jill and I went out to look at him and we again got him in the
scope and we are 100% certain that he's a Willow.

Nicky Davis sent me a link to pictures of Willow Flycatchers which helped to
nail down the identification. What a sweet little bird...

Good birding,
Richard


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Wood" <rwoodphd@msn.com>
To: <birdtalk@utahbirds.org>

Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2005 5:40 PM
Subject: [BirdTalk] Re: Empid question


Hi all,

I saw my Empid again. On closer examination, he had a longer bill than
most, was rather brownish on top, an dhis eyering wasn't all that
distinct. I'm now leaning towards an Alder or a Willow Flycatcher, with
a Willow being the more likely of the two (based upon field maps).


Good birding,
Richard


  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Richard Wood
  To: birdtalk@utahbirds.org
  Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2005 3:11 PM
  Subject: Empid question


Hi all,

Our back yard here in Hyrum is, for all intents and purposes, a swamp.
That being siad, after I saw the two Lazuli Buntings from the porch, I
decided to go out back and check the area out. While I was out there, I
saw, perched on a piece of brush above the water, an Empid. However, I
can't decide which one it was. He had a fiarly long tail for his size
(he was rather small), had a distinct eyering and nice wingbars. I was
leaning toward either a Cordilleran or a Dusky.

The question is which one of these (or other Empids) would like swampy
areas?

  Good birding,
  Richard



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