Dusky Flycatcher

Empidonax oberholseri

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

15 cm (6") Fairly common. Western North America. Brushy mountain slopes, open woods.

Very similar to Hammond's Flycatcher. Conspicuous white eye ring. Dark olive-gray above. Whitish throat. Gray breast. Yellowish belly. White outer tail feathers.

Song: "whit" and "cheepit, chumee, preet".

Details in the field

Photo gallery

2 photos

Credit: Marcel Holyoak

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

MPG Ranch : Nesting Dusky Flycatcher

Credit: MPGRanch

Dusky Flycatcher call notes

Credit: FVBirding

Where 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 3 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Dusky Flycatcher

3 rules

Rule 1 16 criteria confidence 4

Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: Light outer edge or corners · None · 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 · Olive (yellowish-green) · Gray, or blue-gray · 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 · Olive (yellowish-green) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · 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 ?: Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · 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 ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northwestern Canada or United States

result:874-dusky-flycatcher-spring-fall-winter:1:1 Source: 874 Dusky Flycatcher (Spring, Fall, Winter), row 1

Rule 2 16 criteria confidence 4

Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: Light outer edge or corners · None · 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 · Olive (yellowish-green) · Gray, or blue-gray · 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 · Olive (yellowish-green) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Yellow · Olive (yellowish-green) · 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 ?: Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · 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 ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Fall · Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States

result:874-dusky-flycatcher-spring-fall-winter:2:1 Source: 874 Dusky Flycatcher (Spring, Fall, Winter), row 2

Rule 3 17 criteria confidence 4

Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?: Light outer edge or corners · None · 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 · Olive (yellowish-green) · 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 · Olive (yellowish-green) · Gray, or blue-gray · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · 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 ?: Light area over, below, behind or around the eye · 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 ?: Smaller than a sparrow · Sparrow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Warbler-like · Songbird (ground or perching bird)
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Summer
What type of environment was the bird seen in?: Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra · Thickets or shrubs · Deciduous forest · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Mountainous Terrain · Wooded freshwater habitat
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:875-dusky-flycatcher-summer:1:1 Source: 875 Dusky Flycatcher (Summer), row 1