Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Overview

Pacific-slope Flycatcher: Small flycatcher, olive-brown upperparts, yellow throat and belly, olive-gray breast. Eye-ring is white and elongated. Wings are dark with two pale bars. Bill is long with dark upper mandible and bright yellow lower mandible. Weak fluttering flight on shallow wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Pacific-slope Flycatcher: Breeds from Alaska south along the coast to Baja California. Spends winters south of the U.S.-Mexico border. Preferred habitats include moist, shaded coniferous or mixed forests.

INTERESTING FACTS

The population on the Channel Islands may actually be a distinct species. It is larger than mainland birds, has a longer bill, a paler chest, slightly different vocalizations, and differs genetically.
The species name of the Pacific-slope Flycatcher, difficilis, is appropriate. It means "difficult," and this species is extremely difficult to distinguish from the similar Cordilleran Flycatcher.
These two species were formerly considered a single species known as Western Flycatcher.
A group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including an "outfield", "swatting", "zapper", and "zipper" of flycatchers.

The Pacific-slope Flycatcher has a very large range of 860,000 square kilometers. This bird can be found in Canada, Mexico and the United States, and prefers subtropical, tropical, dry and moist forests and wetlands, including inland rivers, creeks and streams. The global population of this species is currently estimated to be around 8,300,000 individual birds. Currently, it is not believed that the population trends for this species will soon approach the minimum levels that could suggest a potential decline in population. Due to this, population trends for the Pacific-slope Flycatcher have a present evaluation level of Least Concern.