Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Empidonax difficilis

The Pacific-slope Flycatcher is a small, insect-eating bird found in western North America. It has olive-gray upperparts, a pale throat, and a yellow belly. This species is known for its distinctive 'fitz-bew' call and its habit of perching in the mid-canopy of coniferous forests. It forages by sallying from a perch to catch insects in mid-air. Breeding in open woodlands and riparian areas, it constructs a cup-shaped nest on a horizontal tree branch. The Pacific-slope Flycatcher migrates to Central America during the winter. Its population is stable, but it faces threats from habitat loss and nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Habitat: Coniferous forests and riparian areas