Similar Species: The Empidonax flycatchers

Oh boy, this oughta be good...

From top left clockwise: Yellow-bellied, Willow, Least, Cordilleran, Pacific-slope, Alder, Acadian, Hammond's, Gray, Dusky
The Buff-breasted Flycatcher isn't included due to the fact that it's different from the other Empidonax species.

This is my 3rd blog update, and it's about some of the most confusing species in the United States: Empidonax flycatchers. These ten species are olive-colored birds that are fond of forests and deep, wooded areas. They are all very similar, but they have slight differences across their bodies, along with their sounds being different.

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris)
Okay, let's start off nice and easy. In the east, this flycatcher is the only one with yellow underparts, distinguishing it from Least, Alder, Acadian, and Willow. However, the two Western Flycatchers (Pac-slope and Cordilleran) also are yellowish under. It has a stubbier bill and head, and the yellow in the belly is brighter and there is more of it.
Acadian Flycatcher (E. virescens)
This bird is only found in the eastern US. It is larger and greener than any other empid. It is most similar to the Alder and Willow Flycatchers, but its green is a lighter shade with more hue. It is much larger and greener than the Least Flycatcher. Its call, a very fast pee-dzee call.
Alder Flycatcher (E. alnorum)
This bird is very similar to the Willow Flycatcher. It lives in moist thickets unlike the Willow Flycatcher's habitat of brushy areas. Its sound is also different, a fee-bee-o instead of the Willow Flycatcher's fi-beew. It is a plain, olive-colored flycatcher that is distinguished from the Least Flycatcher by having a less prominent eyering.
Willow Flycatcher (E. traillii)
This bird is similar to the Alder Flycatcher, as mentioned before. It is only told apart by voice. Acadian and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers are brighter, while the Least Flycatcher has an eye ring. In the West, most other flycatcher (besides the Gray Flycatcher) have eye rings to tell them apart.
Least Flycatcher (E. minimus)
The Least Flycatcher is the smallest of the Empidonax flycatchers. Its large eyering distinguishes it from the other Eastern flycatchers. It is much greener than the Hammond's and Gray Flycatchers. They have a white belly that also distinguishes them from the other emipds. Their call is a chee-bee! Its bill is also shorter than any eastern empid.
Hammond's Flycatcher (E. hammondii)
The first empid endemic to the western US, the Hammond's Flycatcher is a small, grayish flycatcher with a huge eyering. It has a gray head and a greenish body. It is very similar to the Gray Flycatcher except it has green on the lower body. It also has more dark on the lower mandible than the other empids. Unlike a lot of empids, the call is a one-syllable peek.
Gray Flycatcher (E. wrightii)
This bird is the plainest and grayest of all the empids. It is very similar to the Hammond's Flycatcher. However, it is much grayer and lighter-colored. It is also larger than the Hammond's and Least Flycatchers. While most flycatchers are greener and darker colored, some birds may appear lighter in the field.
Dusky Flycatcher (E. oberholseri)
This one closely resembles the Gray and Hammond's Flycatchers. However, the Gray is a bit lighter, and the Hammond's is slightly smaller and darker. Its downward tail-bobbing is distinctive among empids; never take behavior out of the equation when ID'ing birds. Its main call is a pir-EET sound. Its call, like the other empids, is the main way to tell it apart from others.
Cordilleran Flycatcher (E. occidentalis)
This bird is darker on the belly than most empids. It and the Pacific-slope Flycatcher are probably the hardest to tell apart in their small range intergrade. They were formerly known as one species, the Western Flycatcher. The Pac-slope Flycatcher is slightly smaller and darker, but it is hard to tell in the field. Most of their ranges are separated, but the pi-PEET call is different from the Pac-slope's three-syllable call.
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (E. difficilis)

Buff-breasted Flycatcher

Lastly, this one is very hard to tell apart from the Cordilleran Flycatcher. Its three-syllable call is the main way to tell the two apart. It is also slightly smaller and darker. It is extremely similar so you can just hope that you are not in the small range intergrade where they both live. Most people aren't but it is still somewhat useful to know the small tips for telling them apart.
Other Similar Species
Buff-breasted Flycatcher (E. fulvifrons) - This empid is structured the same, but it is smaller and, as the name would suggest, more buffy. It is only found in southern Texas, however. It is the only  American empid not mentioned above.

Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet

Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet (Camptostoma imberbe) - This bird is much more plain than the others, but sometimes variation causes a yellow belly. It is much grayer than others and its range only occupies the southern areas of the United States. Its range also goes down to Central America.

Hutton's Vireo

Vireos (Vireo sp.) - The vireos are the closest relatives to flycatchers in the US. The Hutton's Vireo is the most similar, but the head shape is different. The flycatchers also exhibit tail-bobbing and different behaviors. The vireos, for the most part, are also paler and the calls are different.

New BirdTrax gadget!

Sorry I have been away for a while, school has made it hard to make a new post. However, I have made a cool update to the blog.

I have a BirdTrax gadget on the side of the screen. BirdTrax is a new gadget that shows rarities, sightings, and eBird checklists of birds in your area. However, this is only for my area, which is around eastern Connecticut. I hope to use it to see rare birds and go to good places (you know, when the weather gets better). Anyways, I hope you enjoy it even if you don't live in CT. If you want one to, it is free and somewhat easy to install. If you have a blogger, you can get one by clicking on this link: http://www.birdventurebirding.com/2013/01/birdtrax-website-embedder.html. If you don't, use the description below to install on Google Site. Note: you will need to enter your latitude and longitude for each way. Unless you know it already, here is a good website for easily finding it:http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/latitudelongitude-finder/. You will need a Google account for both options.

Installing on blogger

Click on the link above. When you enter all the specifications, a code will appear on the bottom of the screen. It should be very long; you will need to use it later. Type "blogger.com" in a new tab on your browser. You should see your blog. On the little arrow next to the post list, click on it and scroll down on the options. Click on "Layout". Then, you should see something that kinda looks like your page. Find a place where you can add a gadget (a link that says "Add a gadget") and click on it. In Basics, scroll down until you see "HTML/JavaScript". Another window should pop up. Enter your title (something like BirdTrax gadget) and paste the code from the website into the "Content" box. Then, click "Save". Then, click the orange "Save Arrangement" button on the header above the layout page. A yellow window should pop up saying, "Your changes have been saved." with a "View Blog" link next to it. Click on "View Blog", and you should see your gadget there!

Installing on Google Sites

First, go to https://sites.google.com/. Click the red "Create" button on the left side of the site. It will let you choose a template and a name, but you can choose whatever you want. Make sure to type the code thingy on the bottom. Then, click on the red "Create button on the header. Make sure the URL you want is available; you can change it without changing your name. You should have a blank page. Click on the pencil button on the top right to edit the page. You should have another blank page. On the top right, click on "Insert", and then click on "More gadgets..." It should be in the bottom of the second column, with three dots as the icon on the left. You should get another window. On the left side, click on the option that says "Add gadget by URL". Enter this link in the box: https://birdtrax-explorer.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/birdtrax.xml. Make sure to delete the http:// that automatically appears in the beginning. Click "Add". Then, customize your gadget for however you want. Make window size (375x450). Also check "Include a scrollbar on gadget when necessary". Then, click OK. You should see a grey box that says "Google Gadget" on it. Then, click "Save". You should have your gadget up on the site!

Thanks for reading those tedious instructions (if you did). I hope you like the BirdTrax gadget. If you have any problems downloading it, leave a comment here.

Species Profile: Pyrrhuloxia - Cardinalis sinatus

Adult male

The Pyrrhuloxia

My favorite bird, a desert resident.

The Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinatus) is a bird found in the southwestern United States and in Mexico. It is part of the cardinal family (Cardinalidae) and it is a close relative of the common Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). It is also known as the Desert Cardinal. It is about 8 inches (20 cm) long.

Range map

The Desert Cardinal is an apt nickname, as it favors desert climates. These include desert scrub, mesquite forest, and other dry habitats.

Its diet consists of mainly seeds and insects. However, it also likes cactus fruit, a common thing in the desert climate it's found in. They may also come to feeders in desert climates for seeds.

Adult female

There are three subspecies (sinatus, fulvescens, and peninsulae). The former two are found in North America. The peninsulae subspecies is found in the species's southern range, in southeastern Mexico. Their behaviors are similar to that of the Northern Cardinal. Their flight is undulating and when they are alarmed, the males raise their large crests and sound an alarm call. Their sounds are also similar to the Northern Cardinal, with both genders eliciting a "chip" call. The male has a melodious "wa-chee" call that is repeated often during breeding season.
The only similar species is the Northern Cardinal. The female Northern Cardinal and the male Pyrrhuloxia are very similar, except for the yellow, roundish bill. The male is completely red.
Please note that these images are not mine, and I don't take credit for owning them.

Similar Birds 1: Greater Yellowlegs vs. Lesser Yellowlegs

Hey everyone, this is my first blog post. It is about the two strikingly similar bird species: The Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. These two birds are two commonly misidentified and confusing bird species. Both having a range across the U.S., they are hard to differentiate everywhere.

Greater Yellowlegs                                 Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa melanoleuca                                                    Tringa flavipes

These two species are very similar but they have some minor differences that can be pointed out with a careful eye. Firstly, they are different in size. As you would expect, the Greater Yellowlegs outsizes the Lesser Yellowlegs. While the Lesser is about 10 inches long, the Greater can reach sizes of up to 15 inches. However, it's not easy to tell size in the wild, so it's easier to tell based on other characteristics.

Another important characteristic is the bill. If you look closely at the bill. The Greater Yellowlegs has a longer bill in proportion to its head, while the Lesser Yellowlegs's bill is stouter and smaller. The Greater Yellowlegs also obtains a paler bill base during the winter. When it is wintertime, it is easy to tell the species apart based on this feature. However, some individuals do not possess this bill. But, if you see the pinkish or grayish bill base it's a Greater. The Greater Yellowlegs's bill is also slightly upturned and fat-tipped.

The song of each bird is also slightly different. The Greater Yellowlegs makes a song of three or four piercing notes, while the Lesser Yellowlegs's call is a few softer whistles. A great video of both birds calling can be found at the Internet Bird Collection: http://ibc.lynxeds.com/video/greater-yellowlegs-tringa-melanoleuca/adult-standing-water-lesser-yellowlegs-foreground.

Another good characteristic to tell the Greater Yellowlegs from the Lesser is in the legs. Although they are both the same color, the heels are larger and thicker on the Greater Yellowlegs. (Note: the knee-like structures are actually heels; the real knees are hidden under the feathers. That is why the legs bend backwards.) If you have a close-up picture, this is a good way to tell the birds apart.

The last way to tell the two yellowlegs species apart is the barring in the underparts. The Greater Yellowlegs has barring that is much more prominent and extends all the way to the flanks in breeding males. Lesser Yellowlegs don't have as much barring in the underparts. However, in the winter and in juvenile birds, the barring isn't that much different between birds. However, do look at the flanks for barring during all plumages.

Other Similar Species

Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) - This bird is similar to the yellowlegs with the same-colored legs, and it is similar in shape. Although its summer plumage has some rufous on its face, the winter male can be very similar to both species. Being a Calidris sandpiper, it is slightly smaller than both birds. Its bill is also downcurved slightly. Some Stilt Sandpipers also have greenish legs. However, be careful and be sure to keep this species in mind as a possible bird. It, along with the two yellowlegs, has a large range across the United States.

Please note that the photos used on this page are not mine and I don't take credit for owning these photos.