Vermilion Flycatcher

Overview

Vermilion Flycatcher: Small, stocky flycatcher, gray-black upperparts and scarlet-red crown, throat, and underparts. Face has thick, black eye-line. Wings and tail are gray-black; tail has thin white tip. Weak fluttering flight on shallow wing beats. Hovers in display flight and when foraging.

Range and Habitat

Vermilion Flycatcher: Breeds from southeastern California east to western Texas and south into the tropics. Spends winters in southern part of breeding range, but wanders as far east as the Gulf Coast. Found in wooded or brushy areas near water.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Vermilion Flycatcher was first described in 1783 by Pieter Boddaert, a Dutch physician and naturalist.
Alternate names for this bird include Galapagos Flycatcher and Darwin’s Flycatcher.
The male often seeks to initiate copulation by delivering a butterfly or other showy insect to the female.
A group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including an "outfield", "swatting", "zapper", and "zipper" of flycatchers.

The Vermilion Flycatcher has a large range, estimated globally at 7,100,000 square kilometers. Native to the Americas, this bird prefers shrubland, savanna, or forest ecosystems. The global population of this bird is estimated at 2,000,000 individuals and does not show signs of decline that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of the Vermilion Flycatcher is Least Concern.