









About the Brown-crested Flycatcher
The brown-crested flycatcher is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is found from the southwestern United States south through Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica; on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Trinidad, and Tobago; and in every mainland South American country except Chile and possibly Ecuador.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The brown-crested flycatcher is 18 to 23 cm (7.1 to 9.1 in) long, with a general trend of larger to smaller from north to south. Subspecies M. t. magister is the largest taxon within the entire genus Myiarchus, weighing 36 to 54 g (1.3 to 1.9 oz). The other subspecies weigh 21 to 45 g (0.74 to 1.6 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the subspecies M. t. magister and M. t. cooperi have a grayish brown crown whose feathers have darker shafts and form a bushy crest. Their upperparts are mostly light brownish gray to dark olive gray with often a rufous tinge on the uppertail coverts. Voice: The brown-crested flycatcher's dawn song varies somewhat among the subspecies but overall is "alternated renditions of isolated huits and complex phrases that are typically derived from combination of a whay-burg note with brief series of rapid huits".
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Brown-crested Flycatcher sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Bahamas.
When to see it
Peak activity in May · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Short-crested FlycatcherMyiarchus feroxThe short-crested flycatcher is about 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs 21 to 34 g (0.74 to 1.2 oz).
Pale-edged FlycatcherMyiarchus cephalotesThe pale-edged flycatcher is 18 to 19 cm (7.1 to 7.5 in) long and weighs about 22 to 31 g (0.78 to 1.1 oz).
Side by side: Brown-crested Flycatcher vs Great Crested Flycatcher · Ash-throated Flycatcher vs Brown-crested Flycatcher · Brown-crested Flycatcher vs Dusky-capped Flycatcher · Brown-crested Flycatcher vs Short-crested Flycatcher
Learn the Brown-crested Flycatcher for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.