Elusive Gray Flycatcher in Crown Point

[All photographs copyright, Gary Nunn 2014] – I followed up on a report by John Bruin of an interesting gray Empidonax flycatcher he found in the Crown Point neighborhood of Pacific Beach. It seemed like a long shot since he saw it the day before, but sure enough after a little searching I found this Gray Flycatcher Empidonax wrightii furtively hiding in a dense patch of trees in the open park like habitat of Crown Point. This flycatcher species can be detected from a distance by its voice, a soft muffled repeated “whit” or “whip”, as well as its behavior since it prefers feeding from perches just under the edge of small tree canopies about 5-10 feet off the ground, from where it sallies down to the ground to capture insect prey. This individual stayed well hidden in the small patch of trees but would occasionally venture out to a small Torrey Pine nearby affording easier views.

Gray Flycatcher is pretty straightforward to identify by its unique tail-dipping behavior which distinguishes it from other Empidonax species. In addition it has a characteristically strong looking quite long bill with a bold yellow-orange colored lower mandible contrasting with the dusky blackish upper mandible. Also noticeable is the long hooked tip to the upper mandible and a darker tip to the underside of the lower mandible. Gray Flycatcher has a relatively short primary projection which accentuates its long tailed look. In addition the tail has a noticeable white edge to the outer tail feather. Under the right light and camera exposure conditions a faint yellow wash can be seen on the underparts as well as a slight vested appearance to the chest and flanks.

Gray Flycatcher - Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Gray Flycatcher – Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Gray Flycatcher - Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Gray Flycatcher – Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Gray Flycatcher - Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Gray Flycatcher – Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Gray Flycatcher - Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Gray Flycatcher – Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Gray Flycatcher - Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Gray Flycatcher – Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

The following two photographs show the extent of the tail dipping action. In the first photograph the tail is in the “normal” position, with the wing tips (primaries) resting on the upper tail coverts. In the second photograph the tail has dipped below its normal position leaving the wing tips sticking out above. This is an easy movement to recognize since the tail motion is relatively slow compared to many other “twitchy” movements of flycatchers!

Gray Flycatcher - Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Gray Flycatcher – Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Gray Flycatcher - Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Gray Flycatcher – Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Small trees holding the Gray Flycatcher - Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

Small trees holding the Gray Flycatcher – Crown Point, Pacific Beach, San Diego County, California 18 April 2014

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