Pl. CLX
The Birds · Plate CLX
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Tyrannidae · Taxon 16602
| Length | Both sexes: 4.7–5.5 in (12–14 cm) |
| Wingspan | Both sexes: 7.9 in (20 cm) |
| Weight | Both sexes: 0.3–0.5 oz (8–13 g) |
Field marks
- Compact, round-headed shape with short folded wings and a relatively long, thin tail
- Grayish-olive crown and back with a dusky gray breast and pale underparts
- Bold whitish eye ring surrounding a dark eye
- Two contrasting whitish wing bars on dark brown wings
- Short, broad-based bill with a dark upper mandible and paler lower mandible
- Dark, slender legs and feet; narrow tail is square-tipped to slightly notched
HabitatDeciduous and mixed woodland ranging from second-growth to mature forest, typically with a developed canopy and some shrubs or saplings below. It often occupies clearings and woodland edges and uses edge habitat and second growth outside the breeding season.
BehaviorPerches upright and makes short aerial sallies to catch insects, often returning to another exposed twig. It also hovers to take insects and spiders from foliage, frequently shifts perches, and may breed in loose clusters. Its characteristic song is a sharp, two-part “che-bec.”
Palette
grayish olivedusky graysoft whitedark brownfaint yellow