Alder Flycatcher

Overview

Alder Flycatcher: Small flycatcher with olive-brown upperparts, white underparts, and indistinct white eye-ring. Wings are olive-brown with two white or pale bars. Bill is short with orange lower mandible. Black legs and feet. Weak fluttering direct flight with shallow, rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Alder Flycatcher: Breeds from Alaska east through Manitoba to Newfoundland and south to British Columbia, Great Lakes region, and southern New England. Spends winters in tropics. Preferred habitats include alder and birch thickets near riparian areas, swamps, bogs, and ponds.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Alder Flycatcher is so similar to the Willow Flycatcher that they were once thought to be the same species. Song is the only definitive way to tell them apart.
An estimated 63% of their population breeds in Canada's boreal forest.
In an experiment on song learning, Alder Flycatchers were "tutored" with Willow Flycatcher song in the first two months of life. The next spring, they sang normal Alder Flycatcher song.
A group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including an "outfield", "swatting", "zapper", and "zipper" of flycatchers.

The Alder Flycatcher can be found as a native species in numerous countries, including the United States, Argentina, Mexico, Peru and Costa Rica. This species calls such a large area home that its range exceeds 7 million square kilometers. It is estimated that the global population of this species is around 49 million individual birds. Due to the fact that there has not been a decline in population of more than 30% over the last decade, the population is not believed to be in danger of declining. Consequently, the Alder Flycatcher is currently a Least Concern evaluation.