Great Crested Flycatcher

Overview

Great Crested Flycatcher: Large, crested flycatcher with olive-green upperparts. Head, throat, and upper breast are gray, belly is yellow, and undertail coverts are lemon-yellow. Bill is heavy and black. Wings are dark with rufous patches. Tail is rufous. Swift bouyant direct flight.

Range and Habitat

Great Crested Flycatcher: Breeds from south-central and southeastern Canada to the Gulf coast. Spends winters in southern Florida; also in tropics.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Great Crested Flycatcher is the only eastern flycatcher that nests in holes.
An unusual habit is its frequent use of shed snakeskins in its nest lining. Whether this is intended to frighten off predators or merely decorate the nest is not known.
They spend much of their time perched on treetops and prefer to fly from place to place on the ground rather than walk or hop.
A group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including an "outfield", "swatting", "zapper", and "zipper" of flycatchers.

The Great Crested Flycatcher is found throughout eastern and mid-western areas of North America. This species resides mostly in treetops, and rarely is found at ground level. They breed in deciduous and mixed forests in eastern North America. Nests are built inside of tree cavities, using snakeskin or plastic for insulation. In winter months, this species migrates south to Mexico, South America, Florida and Cuba. Diets of the Great Crested Flycatcher consist of fruits and berries, and insects caught mid-flight. This bird is the most widespread species in its genus. The current conservation rating for the Great Crested Flycatcher is Least Concern.