May 24, 2018 Fort Whyte, Winnipeg

May is a good time to be a flycatcher on the northern prairie; the world turns green and is suddenly a-buzz with insects of every description. This Least Flycatcher had several preferred perches as it worked along the hedge row in my friend's back yard, and I nabbed several good shots by focusing on a branch it had just left and waiting a few seconds for it to return.

Photographed in Val Marie, Saskatchewan. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2013 James R. Page - all rights reserved.

Moucherolle tchébec

Empidonax minimus - Least Flycatcher

Parc Bernard Landry, Laval, Qc

Pas beaucoup de photos, je garde ca pour le camping

Ok bird experts out there. What the heck is this??? Rather tiny bird here in Dallas Texas.

I think the best clue will be the relatively large head and slight eye ring of this tiny bird. My book says: The bane of bird watchers, flycatchers of the genus Empidonax are extremely difficult to identify.

Photographed in bright overcast drizzly rain. Tripod (as always.)

Christopher's website

It's fieldmarks seem to indicate a least, or at least the genus Empidonax. Maybe I should stop at that. The name Empidonax comes from Ancient Greek, with "empis" meaning "gnat" and "anax" meaning "master," reflecting their insect-eating habits.

Our beautiful world, pass it on.

This cute little Least Flycatcher didn't seem too upset about my taking some pictures. Sometimes a perch doubles as a good scratching post...

I haven't seen one of these in some time , typically see them at migration time.

Wood Lake Nature Center

Sentier de la Rivière-de-la-Tortue, Candiac, Québec

Came back for a second day to feast on insects in the backyard. Just had to take a few more shots of him before the clouds and rain rolled in. I was able to get within 15 feet of him for most of the shots. Quite a thrill to see him in the backyard plus it's a lifer.

Taken in South Portland, Maine

Photo prise au Parc de la Frayère à Boucherville.

Long Point

This was taken near Smithers, BC. There was a small group of these picking off insects from Cow Parsnips. A lifer!

Canada offered us wonderful birds! this is just a small sample of the species we found!

Many thanks for your comments, faves, and follows :)

Juan Carlos  

MY WEBSITE: Neotropic Photo Tours 

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©Juan Carlos Vindas, All Rights Reserved.This image is protected by Copyright, and is not available for use on websites, blogs, videos, or any other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer. 

This was taken late in the morning of October 10, in southern Logan County, Kentucky. It was tiny, with an emphatic eye ring. Neither least nor yellow bellied should be here right now, but it’s one or the other. There was a least here yesterday, that was grayish overall. This yellow wash underneath is confounding for me. This face-on photo is cropped too close… I apologize for that, (I was looking through the scope at about 30 feet, and it was occupying most of my view) but I included it to show the white throat.

Long Point Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

Nikon D850

Thanks for the visit,and the comments,and favorites

Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media

without my explicit permission

© JOE BRANCO PHOTOGRAPHY.

Contact: joebranco68@yahoo.ca

A least flycatcher claiming his territory down at the Minnesota River Valley tis morning.

Empidonax minimus

19 Mar 2017

CA, LA Co., Whittier Narrows Dam

Empidonax minimus

Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve

Huron, Ohio

Sentier de ski Nakkertok, Cantley, Québec

Tawas Point State Park. Michigan. 5/17/2015.

Empidonax minimus

19 Mar 2017

CA, LA Co., Whittier Narrows Dam

Very common here, but hard to catch in an open perch.

A few more odds and ends from my archives. I am adding the description that I wrote under a different image taken on the same outing. Still not getting out, so no new photos.

Taken late morning on 18 June 2012, in the Boat Launch area of Fish Creek Provincial Park.

This cutie was in the trees across the creek from me. I knew it was one of those confusing migrating empids but not which one. Got the id from a bird expert who reviews for ebird. Glad it was identifiable cause the little imp never let me see its tail and didn't make a peep.

Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)

My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com

Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, Port Aransas, Nueces County, Texas

Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge

The least flycatcher is between 5 and 5 3⁄4 inches (13 and 15 cm) long, with a 7 1⁄2 to 8 1⁄2 in (19 to 22 cm) spread.[2] It typically weighs around 11 grams (0.39 oz).[3] Adults have greyish-olive upperparts, darker on the wings and tail, with whitish underparts; they have a conspicuous white eye ring, white wing bars, a small, short bill and a short tail. The breast is washed with grey and the sides of the belly with yellow.

Source: Wikipedia.org

When it comes to the genus Empidonax, all these little flycatchers are so difficult to ID. Some can be done only by their song. This one has a bi-colored bill which eliminates some species. Probability lies with E. Minimus. I don't obsess with IDs like this. A cool little bird and we enjoyed its company for a few minutes. Our beautiful world, pass it on.

Flying like a bird

Looking for a place to land

Among all the trees

I could not get a good view and only took two shots before it flew away.. Since they look similar to other species (including Eastern Phoebe, which I eliminated), Merlin says 'often best left unidentified.' Either way, both of them would be a lifer for me. Hope to catch them in the future (they both migrate in winter from north to South).

Least Flycatcher. Scientific name: Empidonax minimus

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The eleven flycatchers in North America are notorious for causing trouble for birders. All are small birds with wing-bars and eye-rings, and most are very hard to tell apart. The Least Flycatcher is the smallest and grayest of this group in the east, and it is often common near woodland edges, where it perches in the open and raps out its snappy song, "chebeck"! "chebeck"!

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Empidonax minimus

SPI Convention Center

South Padre Island, Texas

Cameron County

The genus empidonax has about a half-dozen species that are very similar. I generally just go with the genus, but based on location and probability, this is likely an Empidonax minimus. Only in Central Oklahoma during migration. A cool and unexpected find. Our beautiful world, pass it on.

Moucherolle tchébec

Empidonax minimus - Least Flycatcher

Confection du nid, Laval Qc

Calgary, AB

This friendly flycatcher let me watch him for over 30 minutes as he flitted from perch to perch calling out to mark his little territory in the woods. However, the forecasted cold front announced its arrival with rapidly darkening skies and, with a long walk back to my car, it was time for me to go. As the first few drops of rain began to fall, I took a final shot of this little fella sitting in a small shaft of light that penetrated the canopy, peering pensively up at the storm clouds rolling in.

Hiding among the reeds and dogwoods.

Col. Sam Smith Park

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