Ash-throated flycatcher!

We banded a new species for the station today; an Ash-throated flycatcher! The week had been pretty quiet as high pressure and easterly winds set in, but last night the wind turned northerly although it stayed very light. A small wave of new birds arrived this morning, including several Wood thrush and many Western palm warblers. The Ash-throated flycatcher capped off a day of only 16 new captures, but that was twice as many as yesterday and contained some interesting birds in addition to this guy. A male Chuck-will’s widow, two Wood thrush and a returning Ovenbird originally banded in 2010 were among today’s captures.

The ash-throated flycatcher is a member of the Myiarchus genus of tyrant flycatchers, which also includes the widespread Great-crested flycatcher as well as the rarer (in south Florida) Brown-crested and La Sagra’s flycatchers. All these species share the same basic pattern of brown back and crown, grey throat, yellow belly and some rufous color in the wings and tail . Myiarchus flycatchers are generally quite aggressive and each species has a distinctive call.

Below are some comparisons between Ash-throated and Great-crested flycatchers. The Ash-throated flycatcher is native to scrubby arid western habitats, and they are occasional overwinterers in Florida, particularly central Florida. The Great-crested flycatcher is a widespread breeder in eastern North America including south Florida, and additional birds come here for the winter months.

Left: Ash-throated(ATFL)  Right: Great-crested(GCFL)

Notice the much brighter color on the underparts of GCFL. The grey color is very distinct from the yellow, while on the ATFL both grey and yellow are fainter and blend together. There are some subtle differences on the tail feathers, too: the darker brown margin on GCFL goes straight down the quill to the end of the feather while the ATFL’s brown margin curves around to cover the whole tip of the feather. Field guides often show this characteristic, but it can be REALLY hard to see in the field. This ATFL is in molt and the fresher feathers show the edging better than the more worn feathers.

Left: Ash-throated(ATFL)  Right: Great-crested(GCFL)

The side view of both birds is quite similar. The ATFL is overall a much slimmer bird with a smaller bill than GCFL, and this plus any vocalizations are the best field clues. The pale underparts are also generally a good field mark, but beware lighting conditions, paler-than-average GCFL’s and Brown-crested flycatchers .

A sign of winter in south Florida is the arrival of another flycatcher species, the Eastern phoebe. These are very common in winter in most semi-open forested habitats. They are a soft lemon-yellow below with a black head and dark gray upperparts and have a  distinctive tail-wagging behavior.