Acadian Flycatcher

The Acadian Flycatcher, Empidonax virescens is a species of flycatcher in Tyrannidae and Empidonax. It is considered to be Least Concern.

Other names
Green-crested flycatcher, green flycatcher, small pewee.

Description
It has the largest wings and the longest and broadest bill of any empid.

Olive above, with yellow eye ring, two buffy or whitish wing bars; very long primary projection. Long, broad-based bill, with mostly yellowish lower mandible. Most birds show pale greyish throat, pale olive wash across upper breast, white lower breast, yellow belly and undertail coverts.

It moults before fall migration and fall birds have buffy wingbars.

Juvenile is brownish-olive above and edged with buff.

A male, in May, 13.7 gr., or about ½ oz., and had 1,554 body (contour) feathers.

Similar species
Main article: Differentiating the Empidonax flycatchers

It is easily confused with other empids, however, its voice can be used to differentiate between the species.

It is similar to the yellow-bellied flycatcher. However, it shows more extensive olive wash across the breast; lacks pale area between olive and yellow belly. The throat is also more yellowish than Acadian's.

It differs in plumage from other members by its brighter green upperparts and whiter underparts.

Behaviour
It flips its tail up.

Diet
Eats a variety of flying insects and dashes out to catch them. Also appears to eat meal worms.

Calls
Call is a soft peace, extended into song to an emphatic pee-tsup, accented on the first syllable. On breeding grounds, it also gives off a flicker like ti ti ti ti ti.

Reproduction
Monogamous. Nest is a sloppy cup nest made from sticks, grass, dried stems, bits of bark and cobwebs; nest is lined with grass, hair, and plant down and placed on a horizontal well away from the trunk. Female incubates for 13-15 days.

Distribution/habitat
Breeds in mature forests, often near water; winters in lowland forest or shady plantations. Also found in deciduous forests, ravines, swampy woods, beech groves.

It is found in North Americana and migrates to Central and South Americana (winters in Costa Rica to Ecuador ).