Ash-throated Flycatcher

Ash-throated Flycatcher is a mostly summer resident in Sonoma County, moving into our area from the south (Mexico, South America) to breed, usually arriving here in early April and leaving again by the end of August, although sporadic sightings of migrating birds on either side of that range are not uncommon. Favors dry, brushy areas and dry, wooded, edge habitats. Feeds mostly on insects but also eats berries and will occasionally take lizards or even small mammals (mice, voles). Forages mostly in mid-level to low vegetation and occasionally on the ground. Gleans insects as it moves through foliage. Nests mostly in the drier, eastern half of the county, according to Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas (1995), and that is supported by the pattern of confirmed breeding activity recorded in the Atlas. Uses abandoned nests excavated by others or manmade cavities.

In our area, the only flycatcher normally present with rufous in the tail. Similar species in the same genus--Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer) and Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus)--do not ordinarily occur here. A fairly large, slightly crested flycatcher. Overall, brownish grey, but very pale to whitish at the throat, pale grey upper breast and very pale yellow on the belly and at the vent (in the field, birds may simply look pale underneath). Darker grey head. Crown a little darker than the rest of the head. Bill all black. Two distinct pale wing bars (although disheveled feathers can hide the fact). Rufous in the primaries shows both at rest and in flight (photo below). Rufous also in the tail with dark tip visible from underneath in adult birds (although, very confusingly, some birds apparently lack this feature). Young birds show more rufous in the tail but lack the dark tip. Very vocal. Often heard before it’s seen. The field guides give quite a list of utterances including brik and prrt as call notes, kibr and kabrick as repeated song elements. Peterson (2010) gives “a rolling chi-queer or prit-wheer.” Song often described as “fussy” or “burry.” A simple prrrt seems to be most common.