Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Empidonax flaviventris
Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
- GenusEmpidonax (Empidonax Flycatchers)
- SpeciesEmpidonax flaviventris (Yellow-bellied Flycatcher)
About the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
The yellow-bellied flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris) is a small insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family. Adults have greenish upperparts and yellowish underparts (especially on the throat), with a dusky wash on the chest. They have a white or yellow eye ring that lacks the teardrop projection of the western flycatcher, white or yellowish wing bars that contrast strongly against the black wings, a broad, flat bill, and a relatively short tail when compared to other members of the genus. The upper mandible of the bill is dark, while the lower mandible is orange-pink. DNA testing in 2014 confirmed a field mark, involving the extent of buffy edging on the secondaries, to reliably distinguish this species from the western flycatcher.
Measurements: Length: 5.1–5.9 in (13–15 cm) Weight: 0.3–0.6 oz (8.5–17.0 g) Wingspan: 7.1–7.9 in (18–20 cm) Yellow-bellied flycatchers wait on a perch low or in the middle of a tree and fly out to catch insects in flight, sometimes hovering over foliage. They sometimes eat berries or seeds.
The yellow-bellied flycatcher's song can be transcribed as a rough, descending "tse-berk", which can be similar to the more common least... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Yellow-bellied Flycatcher in Shenandoah National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Shenandoah National Park
Acadian Flycatcher
Empidonax virescens
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Willow Flycatcher
Empidonax traillii
Alder Flycatcher
Empidonax alnorum
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Contopus virens
Great Crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Tyrannus forficatus
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Myiarchus cinerascens
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Contopus cooperi
Say's Phoebe
Sayornis saya
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.