Vermilion Flycatcher

About the Vermilion Flycatcher

A small flycatcher that stops birders in their tracks. The male is a blaze of flame-red on the crown and underparts set against a dark brown back and mask - a color so intense it seems to glow. The female is a quieter gray-brown above with fine streaking and a soft peach-to-pink wash below.

Vermilion Flycatchers hunt from low, open perches, sallying out to snap insects from the air and fluttering back with a soft, tinkling song. The male will sometimes rise in a slow, showy display flight, singing as he goes.

In Texas the species favors open country near water - ranch land, park ponds, and lake edges - and can be found year-round across parts of Central, West, and South Texas, with numbers shifting by season.

A note from behind the lens: this is one of the most photogenic birds in the state. Those low, exposed perches and open backgrounds make for clean compositions, and that red truly pops against green grass in soft, low side-light. Get to eye level and let the perch and background do half the work.