Day 146: Willow Flycatcher

If you've been following my blog, you might have noticed that I've posted about several species of flycatchers. I've written about the Acadian Flycatcher, the Eastern Phoebe, and several types of flycatchers that we saw in Puerto Rico (1, 2, 3). To me (and other untrained eyes), they can be pretty difficult to distinguish. However, by looking closely at differences in plumage and vocalizations, you can learn to tell them apart.

Today's species of flycatcher is the Willow Flycatcher, a small insect-eating bird. Adults have brown-olive upperparts with white bellies. They also have a white eye ring and white wing bars. In the U.S. and Canada, they like to breed in deciduous thickets, especially willows and often near water. During the winter, they migrate to Mexico and Central America.