# Empidonax Flycatchers (*Empidonax*) Empidonax Flycatchers are small, lively birds that love to catch insects in the air. They have a cheerful song and can be found flitting around in trees and bushes. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests ![Empidonax Flycatchers](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Flycatcher-102a.jpg&width=800) Photo: William H. Majoros, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flycatcher-102a.jpg) ## Appearance The Empidonax Flycatchers have subtle drab plumage, typically olive-green, grayish-brown, or yellow-green, with pale wing bars and often a distinct eye-ring. Their similar appearance makes visual identification tricky. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Tyrannidae - **Genus:** Empidonax ## Interesting facts - A baby flycatcher can eat hundreds of insects in just one single day! - Many Empidonax look so alike, even experts use their distinct songs to identify them! - Their wide, flat beaks are perfectly shaped for scooping up flying bugs mid-air! - These tiny birds can migrate thousands of miles, sometimes crossing entire continents! ## Special abilities - **Insect Interceptor:** Empidonax Flycatchers can snatch flying insects right out of the air thanks to their agile flight and quick reflexes. - **Secret Song Code:** Empidonax Flycatchers use distinct, complex songs to identify each other, which helps overcome their similar looks. - **Stealthy Spotter:** Empidonax Flycatchers have excellent eyesight that helps them spot tiny insects from a distance while perched quietly. - **Nesting Navigator:** Empidonax Flycatchers can build well-camouflaged cup nests, protecting their eggs and young from predators. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 12-17 cm - **Wingspan:** 18-25 cm - **Weight:** 0.007-0.015 kg - **Lifespan:** 3-8 years - **Speed:** 40 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-4 - **Incubation:** 12-15 days - **Migration Distance:** 5000 km ## Diet & Feeding Tiny aerial hunters, they mostly snatch flying insects right out of the air. - **Primary Foods:** Flies, Moths, Beetles, Wasps, Caterpillars, Spiders - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Sharp-shinned Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sharp-shinned-hawk) (*Accipiter striatus*) — Small raptors often prey on adult flycatchers. - **Hunts:** House Fly (*Musca domestica*) — Empidonax flycatchers efficiently catch various flying insects. - **Depends on:** [White Oak](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-oak) (*Quercus alba*) — They depend on trees for perches, nesting, and insect foraging habitat. - **Eaten by:** Common Garter Snake (*Thamnophis sirtalis*) — Snakes can raid nests, eating eggs or hatchlings. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and don't disturb their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Empidonax Flycatchers? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Empidonax Flycatchers? 12-17 cm ### What is Empidonax Flycatchers's wingspan? 18-25 cm ### How much does Empidonax Flycatchers weigh? 0.007-0.015 kg ### How long does Empidonax Flycatchers live? 3-8 years ### How fast can Empidonax Flycatchers move? 40 km/h ### What does Empidonax Flycatchers eat? Tiny aerial hunters, they mostly snatch flying insects right out of the air. ### Where is Empidonax Flycatchers usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Mount Fernie Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-fernie-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Empidonax Flycatchers: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/empidonax-flycatchers)