Flycatcher Lookalikes: Nature’s Diversity at Its Most Exquisite

Hmmm, is there a better example of “the devil is in the details” than the lookalike Empidonax family?

One of appeals of birdwatching is the challenge of distinguishing between similar species in the same family. No species typifies that challenge more than the Empidonax flycatchers.

There are five Empidonax flycatchers. All are dingy greenish birds with eye-rings and double, whitish wing bars. They differ in size by a fraction of an inch which is difficult (read near impossible) to distinguish through binoculars viewing lookalikes that vary in size from 5-1/4” to 5-3/4”. A quick snapshot of each species:

Least Flycatcher: So named, I presume, because it is the smallest of the five. Said to be the grayest of the group with an eye-ring is somewhat more distinct. But trust me – that is splitting hairs. It is also, allegedly, more whitish on the breast – allegedly being the operative word.

Acadian Flycatcher: More greenish than the Least with a dusky yellowish wash on the sides. Acadians have a shadow vest across the breast which helps distinguish them from Leasts but less so from their other cousins. The lower half of the beak is said to be extensively paler. But whoever developed that field mark fails to grasp the concept of extensively.

Willow Flycatcher: A bit larger and browner than the Least. But well-nigh impossible to distinguish by appearance from Alder Flycatchers although the back is infinitesimally less green. Same applies to the less distinct eye-ring.

Alder Flycatcher: See Willow Flycatcher description above. Enough said.

Yellow-belled Flycatcher: As the name suggests, they have decidedly yellowish underparts. I can usually identify Yellow-bellieds if I get a good, straight on view although decidedly is rather an exaggeration. I have never been able to pick up the yellowish tinge in the eye-ring.

Now for the good news. These five are easily identified by song or call and habitat.

Least Flycatcher: Call – A sharp che-bek!  che-beck! Habitat – open groves.

Acadian Flycatcher: Call – A sharp pit-see! Habitat – Deciduous forest, ravines, swampy woods, beech and hemlock groves.

Willow Flycatcher: Call – A sneezy fitz-bew. Habitat: Bushes and willow thickets.

Alder Flycatcher: An accented fee-bee-o. Habitat: Willows, alders and brushy swamps.

Yellow-belled Flycatcher: A simple purr-wee. Habitat: Boreal forests, muskeg and bogs.

But here is the fly in the ointment (pardon the pun.) In migration, which is when I mostly see these flycatchers, they often don’t sing. And they don’t settle exclusively into their preferred habitats until they are in their breeding range.

So why do I like these frustratingly difficult to distinguish lookalikes? They pleasantly tease my brain as I follow them, through my binoculars, flitting about in the treetops. And they serve as an unequalled metaphor for the infinite and exquisite diversity of nature which never ceases to amaze and delight me. Go ahead, call me a nature geek. I take it as a compliment.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

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