Alder Flycatcher

About the Alder Flycatcher

A small, drab flycatcher of the notoriously tricky Empidonax group, the Alder Flycatcher is olive-brown above and pale below with a whitish throat, pale wing-bars, and a thin eye-ring. It is nearly identical to the Willow Flycatcher - the two were once considered a single species - and in the field they are separated mainly by voice.

Alder Flycatchers sally after flying insects from an exposed perch in shrubby, damp thickets, giving a buzzy, three-part song on the breeding grounds that is the surest way to name one.

In Texas the Alder Flycatcher is a migrant, passing through in spring and fall between northern breeding grounds and South America, most likely in brushy, moist areas and woodland edges in the eastern half of the state.

A note from behind the lens: since these look-alikes are safely told apart by sound, focus on getting a clean, well-lit image on an open perch and note any calls. Track a bird as it sallies, prefocus on its favored twig, and let soft light bring out the subtle olive tones.