Bird Guide

Alder Flycatcher vs Boat-billed Flycatcher

Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum)

Alder Flycatcher

Empidonax alnorum

Tiny13 gShrubland

E. alnorum is one of the larger Empidonax species, attaining a length of 13–17 cm (5.1–6.7 in), and a weight of 12–14 g (0.42–0.49 oz). The wingspan ranges from 21–24 cm (8.3–9.4 in). The upperparts of E. alnorum are dull greenish-olive. The crown is a slightly darker olive-green than the back. The throat is white, with a darker breast band. Thin white rings surround the eyes. The bill is wide and moderate in length, with pinkish or yellow-orange lower mandible and black upper mandible. Wings are generally black, with white wing bars and white edges of the innermost secondaries (tertials). Voice: The vocalizations of the alder flycatcher are very useful for its identification in the field. The song is a distinct "fee-bee-o"; birds have been observed to throw their heads back and shake their tails while singing. There are a variety of calls made, the most common of which is a "pit" sound produced when foraging.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Jonathon Jongsma · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: worldbird · CC BY 4.0
Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua)

Boat-billed Flycatcher

Megarynchus pitangua

Medium70 gWoodland

The boat-billed flycatcher is 21.5 to 24 cm (8.5 to 9.4 in) long and weighs 53 to 70 g (1.9 to 2.5 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies M. p. pitangua have a blackish brown or sooty crown with a mostly hidden yellow to orange-rufous patch in the center. They have a wide white supercilium that begins at the forehead and wraps almost all the way around the nape, a wide black band from the lores to the ear coverts, and white cheeks. They have olive to dull brownish olive upperparts. Voice: The boat-billed flycatcher's dawn song has been described as a "loud but simple and clear, slightly reedy and rolled whée-dic, pprrri-iu, chirr-rr or cheer chirree, monotonously repeated". It also sings a "shorter prriu or cheer punctuated by slurred bo-oy or chrr-ee". The nominate subspecies makes a "strident nasal kryeeeh-nyeh-nyeh-nyeh" call; subspecies M. p.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recording: Niels Krabbe · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0

Where you might meet both

Learn this pair in BeakBrain

Photo and call practice, free in any browser.

Play BeakBrain

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Alder Flycatcher and Boat-billed Flycatcher.