Great Crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus crinitus

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

20-23 cm (8-9") Common. Eastern North America. Deciduous and mixed woods, woodlots, wooded urban areas.

Brownish-olive head and back; gray throat and upper breast; bright yellow lower breast and belly; bright reddish-brown on tail and wings. Usually no obvious crest but may erect a bushy one.

Nests in holes. Usually feeds high in treetops. Heard more often than seen.

Song: distinctive harsh ascending "wheep" call; also "prrrr-eet".

Details in the field

Photo gallery

4 photos

Credit: Larry Bond

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Great Crested Flycatcher

Credit: Larry Bond

Great Crested Flycatchers and their nest

Credit: Joan Ouellette

Where 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 2 rules

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

Great Crested Flycatcher

2 rules

Rule 1 18 criteria confidence 6

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 ?: 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 · Gray, or blue-gray · 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 ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:844-great-crested-flycatcher:1:1 Source: 844 Great Crested Flycatcher, row 1

Rule 2 18 criteria confidence 1

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 ?: 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 · Gray, or blue-gray · 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 · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:844-great-crested-flycatcher:2:1 Source: 844 Great Crested Flycatcher, row 2