North American field guide
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus tyrannulus
Also known as:Weird's Crested Flycatcher
Identification
Field notes
22 cm (9") Fairly common. Southwestern United States. Saguaro desert, river groves.
Dark upperparts. Bushy brown crest. Pale gray throat. Yellow belly and undertail coverts. Dark rusty tail. Longer and thicker bill than similar Ash-throated Flycatcher.
Was called Weird's Crested Flycatcher.
Song: whistled "whit-will-do"; call is a sharp "whit".
Details in the field
Photo gallery
Watch and learn
Videos
Brown-crested flycatchers. Laguna Atascosa NWR Los Fresnos Texas 2012-05-20.
Credit: TavoBrown-crested Flycatcher at nest
Credit: John van DortWhere it lives
Distribution map
Source legend · original intervals
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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence
Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant · 1 rule
These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.
Brown-crested Flycatcher
1 ruleRule 1 18 criteria · confidence 4
- What SIZE was the TAIL ?
- Medium · Long · Very Long · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the TAIL ?
- Square or slightly notched at the end · Rounded at the end · Unknown
- What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
- None · Unknown
- What colour was the TAIL ?
- Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, brownish red, cinnamon · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BACK ?
- Olive (yellowish-green) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What colour was the BELLY ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
- Uniform color · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Unknown
- What colour was the THROAT ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
- What SHAPE was the BILL ?
- Straight and slender · Straight and thick · Conical and slender · Flattened · Unknown
- What LENGTH was the BILL ?
- Short · Medium · Long · Unknown
- What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ?
- Crest of feathers on top of the head · NONE of the above or a PLAIN unmarked FACE · Unknown
- What colour was the TOP of HEAD ?
- Olive (yellowish-green) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
- Olive (yellowish-green) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
- How BIG was the bird ?
- Sparrow-sized · Robin-sized
- What TYPE of bird was seen ?
- Songbird (ground or perching bird)
- WHEN was the bird seen ?
- Spring · Summer · Fall
- WHERE was the bird seen ?
- Southwestern United States