A small flycatcher with distinctive eye ring. Common in eastern deciduous forests.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The least flycatcher is a small insect-eating bird. It is the smallest Empidonax flycatcher in eastern North America.
Source: Wikipedia — Least flycatcher Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Tiny olive-gray flycatcher with a bold white eye ring, two white wing bars, and a relatively large head and short bill; underparts whitish.
Similar species. Other Empidonax are best told by voice; Least is small and grayish with a crisp eye ring and emphatic song.
Voice. A dry, emphatic, snappy 'che-BEK! che-BEK!' repeated rapidly.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Flying insects caught on the wing.
Behavior. The smallest eastern Empidonax; an aggressive little flycatcher that snaps its bill and flicks its wings and tail while sallying from open perches in second growth.
§ Range
Eastern North America in summer
§ Habitat
Deciduous forests, edges
§ Threats
Forest loss, climate change.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the least flycatcher is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support eastern deciduous forest conservation.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Least flycatcher
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Empidonax minimus
- IUCN Red List — search for Empidonax minimus
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Empidonax minimus
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
