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Henry Sowell

Vol. I · Est. 2026

Pl. CLII
Field-journal plate: Great Crested Flycatcher
The Great Crested Flycatcher plate as rendered on the e-ink frame
As rendered on the frame

The Birds · Plate CLII

Great Crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus crinitus

Tyrannidae · Taxon 16028

Length17–22 cm (6.7–8.7 in)
Wingspan33–38 cm (13–15 in)
Weight27–40 g (0.9–1.4 oz)

Field marks

  1. Large, lean flycatcher with a broad-shouldered look, large head, and subtle peaked crest.
  2. Brownish-gray head, throat, and breast contrast with a bright lemon-yellow belly.
  3. Thick, straight dark bill, often with a paler base to the lower mandible.
  4. Olive- to reddish-brown upperparts with pale-edged wing feathers.
  5. Rufous-orange flashes in the wings and a long, rufous-brown tail.
  6. Dark legs and feet; sexes alike in plumage.

HabitatOpen broadleaf or mixed woodlands, woodland edges, clearings, hedgerows, and other tree-rich habitats; typically uses the upper canopy and nests in cavities.

BehaviorUsually forages from high perches, making short sallies after insects and returning to a perch; spends little time on the ground.

Palette

brownish grayolive brownlemon yellowrufous orangeblackish brown