Western Flycatcher
Empidonax difficilis
The term "Western Flycatcher" has a complex taxonomic history. For many years, it referred to a single species, but it was later split into two very similar species: the Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis) and the Cordilleran Flycatcher (Empidonax occidentalis). As of 2023, the American Ornithological Society (AOS) has **re-lumped** these two back into a single species, Empidonax difficilis, once again called Western Flycatcher, due to extensive hybridization and lack of consistent genetic, vocal, or morphological differences across much of their range.
Therefore, when we talk about "Western Flycatchers" in Oregon, we are referring to this re-lumped species, which historically encompasses both the coastal/western Oregon populations (Pacific-slope group) and the interior/eastern Oregon populations (Cordilleran group).
Regardless of their taxonomic history, the most critical point for your question is that male and female Western Flycatchers are virtually identical in plumage. There are no reliable visual differences in their appearance to distinguish between the sexes in the field.
General Characteristics (Both Sexes)
Size: A small Empidonax flycatcher, typically 5.5-6.7 inches (14-17 cm) long.
Plumage:
Overall Color: Generally an olive-greenish tone on the upperparts (back, head, wings) and a yellowish wash on the underparts, particularly on the belly and undertail coverts. The breast may have a duskier, ash-gray wash.
Eye-ring:** One of their most distinctive features is a prominent teardrop-shaped white eye-ring that often extends slightly backward, giving it a somewhat "bug-eyed" look. This helps distinguish it from other Empidonax species.
Wingbars: They have two distinct whitish or buffy wingbars.
Bill: The bill is relatively large for an Empidonax, with a pale orange or yellow lower mandible (bottom part) that often has a dark tip. The upper mandible is dark.
Tail: Relatively short tail.
Shape: They tend to have a slightly peaked or puffy crest, giving their head a somewhat rounded or triangular appearance.
Perching Behavior: Often found perched in the lower to middle canopy of shady, moist forests. They sally out to catch insects in flight and may also glean insects from foliage.
Vocalization: This is the most reliable way to identify Western Flycatchers and to differentiate them from other Empidonax species. The song is often described as a "ps-SEET ptsick seet" or a series of notes like "seet-ptik." The quality can vary regionally (historically "Pacific-slope" birds had a different song emphasis than "Cordilleran" birds, but there's a broad intergrade zone). Their call note is often a high, thin "seet" or "tsip."
Male Western Flycatcher in Oregon
Plumage: Indistinguishable from the female.
Size (Subtle): Males are, on average, very slightly larger than females, but this difference is not discernible in the field.
Singing: Males are the primary singers of the characteristic song, which they use to attract mates and defend their breeding territory.
Female Western Flycatcher in Oregon
Plumage: Indistinguishable from the male.
Size (Subtle): Females are, on average, very slightly smaller than males.
Nesting: The female is responsible for building the nest, which is typically a cup of moss, grass, rootlets, and bark, lined with finer materials. Nests are often placed in sheltered locations like a cleft in a streambank, on a stump, in upturned roots of a fallen tree, or even on human-made structures like bridges or sheds. She also does most or all of the incubation. Both parents feed the young.
Habitat in Oregon
Western Flycatchers are common breeders throughout a variety of forested habitats in Oregon, generally favoring moist, shady forests:
Coastal and Western Oregon (historically Pacific-slope): Often found in moist coniferous and mixed forests, particularly near streams and in deep, shaded ravines.
Eastern and Interior Oregon (historically Cordilleran): Found in drier evergreen and mixed forests, often associated with riparian zones in the Rocky Mountain foothills and other interior ranges.
Therefore, when we talk about "Western Flycatchers" in Oregon, we are referring to this re-lumped species, which historically encompasses both the coastal/western Oregon populations (Pacific-slope group) and the interior/eastern Oregon populations (Cordilleran group).
Regardless of their taxonomic history, the most critical point for your question is that male and female Western Flycatchers are virtually identical in plumage. There are no reliable visual differences in their appearance to distinguish between the sexes in the field.
General Characteristics (Both Sexes)
Size: A small Empidonax flycatcher, typically 5.5-6.7 inches (14-17 cm) long.
Plumage:
Overall Color: Generally an olive-greenish tone on the upperparts (back, head, wings) and a yellowish wash on the underparts, particularly on the belly and undertail coverts. The breast may have a duskier, ash-gray wash.
Eye-ring:** One of their most distinctive features is a prominent teardrop-shaped white eye-ring that often extends slightly backward, giving it a somewhat "bug-eyed" look. This helps distinguish it from other Empidonax species.
Wingbars: They have two distinct whitish or buffy wingbars.
Bill: The bill is relatively large for an Empidonax, with a pale orange or yellow lower mandible (bottom part) that often has a dark tip. The upper mandible is dark.
Tail: Relatively short tail.
Shape: They tend to have a slightly peaked or puffy crest, giving their head a somewhat rounded or triangular appearance.
Perching Behavior: Often found perched in the lower to middle canopy of shady, moist forests. They sally out to catch insects in flight and may also glean insects from foliage.
Vocalization: This is the most reliable way to identify Western Flycatchers and to differentiate them from other Empidonax species. The song is often described as a "ps-SEET ptsick seet" or a series of notes like "seet-ptik." The quality can vary regionally (historically "Pacific-slope" birds had a different song emphasis than "Cordilleran" birds, but there's a broad intergrade zone). Their call note is often a high, thin "seet" or "tsip."
Male Western Flycatcher in Oregon
Plumage: Indistinguishable from the female.
Size (Subtle): Males are, on average, very slightly larger than females, but this difference is not discernible in the field.
Singing: Males are the primary singers of the characteristic song, which they use to attract mates and defend their breeding territory.
Female Western Flycatcher in Oregon
Plumage: Indistinguishable from the male.
Size (Subtle): Females are, on average, very slightly smaller than males.
Nesting: The female is responsible for building the nest, which is typically a cup of moss, grass, rootlets, and bark, lined with finer materials. Nests are often placed in sheltered locations like a cleft in a streambank, on a stump, in upturned roots of a fallen tree, or even on human-made structures like bridges or sheds. She also does most or all of the incubation. Both parents feed the young.
Habitat in Oregon
Western Flycatchers are common breeders throughout a variety of forested habitats in Oregon, generally favoring moist, shady forests:
Coastal and Western Oregon (historically Pacific-slope): Often found in moist coniferous and mixed forests, particularly near streams and in deep, shaded ravines.
Eastern and Interior Oregon (historically Cordilleran): Found in drier evergreen and mixed forests, often associated with riparian zones in the Rocky Mountain foothills and other interior ranges.