Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Empidonax flaviventris

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Identification

Field notes

13-15 cm (5-6") Common in boreal forests, swamps, bogs; deciduous forests during migration.

Proportionately large-headed and short-tailed. Greenish upperparts, yellowish below - from throat to belly. Distinct eye ring. Distinct wing bars. No other eastern empidonax has a yellow throat.

Song: a soft "che-bunk" similar to Least Flycatcher's; best told by its call - an ascending two note whistled "per-wee".

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Credit: Larry Bond

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Credit: Lang Elliott's Nature Channel

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 2 rules

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

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

2 rules

Rule 1 16 criteria confidence 5

Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · 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 ?: Very short · Short · Medium · 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 · Coniferous forest · Mixed forest · Wooded freshwater habitat · Freshwater marsh or wetland · Freshwater shoreline
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:871-yellow-bellied-flycatcher:1:1 Source: 871 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, row 1

Rule 2 14 criteria confidence 5

Did the WINGS have STRIPES or PATCHES ?: Yes · 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 ?: Very short · Short · Medium · 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

result:871-yellow-bellied-flycatcher:2:1 Source: 871 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, row 2