Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 5.1–5.9 in
13–15 cm - Wingspan
- 7.9–9.1 in
20–23 cm - Weight
- 0.3–0.4 oz
9–11 g
Other Names
- Moucherolle sombre (French)
- Mosquerito Oscuro (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Dusky and Hammond's flycatchers are so similar that telling them apart is a true challenge. Color and pattern do not help. Even voice, usually the most helpful character in distinguishing Empidonax flycatchers, does not help much. The best character for this species pair in the hand is the length of the outer wing feathers: Dusky has relatively short wingtips, with the outermost feather (primary 10, or "p10") being shorter or the same length as the middle one (p5); Hammond's has long wingtips with p10 being longer than p5.
Habitat
Open Woodland
Scrub, brushy areas, thickets, aspen groves, open coniferous forests, and mountain chaparral.
Food
Insects
Insects.
Nesting
Nest Placement
Shrub
Behavior
Flycatching
Takes insects on the wing; perches on dead branches and twigs between forays.
Conservation
Least Concern
Common and increasing.
Credits
- Sedgwick, J. A. 1993. Dusky Flycatcher (Empidonax oberholseri). In The Birds of North America, No. 78 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists' Union.