Re: [MDOsprey] Late Empidonax (Yellow-bellied?)

Michael O'Brien (obrienm@algorithms.com)
Mon, 25 Oct 1999 17:04:59 -0400


Paul,

Why not a "Western" Flycatcher?  The eye ring certainly sounds good.  Were
the wings (aside from the wing bars) really blackish or were they paler? 
How about the head shape?  It would be good to get photos or video of that
bird.  At this late date, just about any empid is possible.  

Good luck!

Michael O'Brien
Cape May Point, NJ

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>From: "Zucker, Paul A." <ZUCKEPA1@central.SSD.JHUAPL.edu>
>To: MD Osprey <mdosprey@ARI.Net>
>Subject: [MDOsprey] Late Empidonax (Yellow-bellied?)
>Date: Mon, Oct 25, 1999, 11:39 AM
>

>While hiking yesterday (10/24) in Black Hills Regional Park (Montgomery
>county), I briefly observed an Empidonax flycatcher.  It was perched on a
>low branch of a small tree growing in a weedy field. It was a couple of feet
>above the tops of the weeds, and about 20 feet from me. (The Osprey Heights
>trail is a mowed path with woods on one side and a large weedy field on the
>other.  The weeds/grasses were about three feet in height.)  The bird flew a
>few times after bugs, returning to the same perch.  Then it dropped down and
>grabbed a bug in the weeds and settled on a perch in a nearby tree.  Soon it
>disappeared from sight.  I estimate that I observed it on and off for less
>than a minute.
>
>While I am inclined to call it a Yellow-bellied flycatcher, I have some
>lingering doubts since late fall Acadians often have a yellowish wash on the
>breast.  I invite the experts with experience with such birds to look at my
>description below and let me know if the Acadian can be ruled out.
>
>Eye-ring:  Large white area behind the eye coming to a point (like the books
>show for the "Western" Flycatcher complex).  This feature was very prominent
>and immediately grabbed my attention.
>
>Bill:  Lower mandible had color somewhere between flesh and orange.  It did
>not look yellow.  I looked at the bill but was not able to study it
>carefully.
>
>Front:  The entire front had a dull yellow wash.  There was a lot of grayish
>streaking/mottling up and down on the sides.  I did not get a careful look
>at the throat, but my impression is that it was similar in color to the
>breast.
>
>Back:  Two large wing-bars stood out.  They were slightly yellowish in
>color.  (I would not call them buffy, but a light buffy and a light yellow
>are hard to distinguish.)
>
>Shape/Posture/Behavior:  My subjective impression was that this bird was not
>an Acadian, but my experience with Acadians is based mostly on Spring
>migrants and breeding adults.
>
>Your help and comments are appreciated.
>
>Paul Zucker
>Potomac, MD