Credit: Ken Schneider
North American field guide
Gray Flycatcher
Empidonax wrightii
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Identification
Field notes
15 cm (6 ") Fairly common. Western North America; Great Basin. Dry habitats, sage brush, yellow pine or pinyon-juniper.
Narrow white eye ring is inconspicuous on a gray face. Gray head, back, and underparts. Long tail is narrowly edged in white. When perched it drops its tail downward first like a phoebe.
Song: "chi-wip" and liquid "churweeoo"
Details in the field
Photo gallery
Watch and learn
Videos
Gray Flycatcher in Kodachrome Basin State Park Utah
Credit: High-Powered PlanetGray Flycatcher-SE AZ-April 17, 2009
Credit: rixandzaxWhere it lives
Distribution maps
Source legend · original intervals
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Unshaded in source · does not imply absence
Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.
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.
Gray Flycatcher
3 rulesRule 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) · 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
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) · 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
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) · Unknown
- What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
- Uniform color · Unknown
- What colour was the BREAST ?
- White, or pale (grayish-white) · 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 · Desert, arid grassland, shrubs, cactus, mesquite · Thickets or shrubs · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Mountainous Terrain
- WHERE was the bird seen ?
- Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States