Olive-sided flycatcher

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Olive-sided flycatcher
Olive-sided Flycatcher.jpg

Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Contopus
Species:
C. cooperi
Binomial name
Contopus cooperi
(Swainson, 1832)
Contopus cooperi map.svg

The olive-sided flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) is a passerine bird. It is a medium-sized tyrant flycatcher.

Description[]

The olive-sided flycatcher is a stocky bird with long wings and a large bill compared to its close relative the pewees as well as the smaller Empidonax flycatchers. The bird has gray brown top feathers, dark gray sides, and a white chest which forms a prominent "vest". Olive tones may be visible in optimal lighting and fresh plumage.

The song of the olive-sided flycatcher is often described as a distinctive "quick three beers!", sung by males most frequently at the start of the breeding season, and occasionally by females and fledglings. Other calls include a sharp pip or twitter given by both sexes.[2]

Measurements:[2]

  • Length: 7.1-7.9 in (18-20 cm)
  • Weight: 1.0-1.4 oz (28-40.4 g)
  • Wingspan: 12.4-13.6 in (31.5-34.5 cm)

Behavior[]

Feeding[]

They wait on a perch at the top of a tree and fly out to catch insects in flight.

Breeding[]

This species nests in boreal and western coniferous forests from sea level up to 10 000 feet in elevation. The female usually lays three eggs in a shallow open cup nest on a horizontal tree branch. The male defends a large area around the nesting territory. Both parents feed the young birds.

Migration[]

Of all the flycatcher species that breed in the United States, the olive-sided flycatcher has the longest migration. Some olive-sided flycatchers migrate up to 7,000 miles traveling between central Alaska and Bolivia.[2]

Flight peculiarities[]

The flight of this bird is peculiar. It makes a kind of vertical free fall after climbing into the air ending in singing with the head lifted up (see impression on pictures)

Contopus cooperi Costa Rica (Volcan Barva)
Contopus cooperi flight end

Status and conservation[]

The numbers of this bird are declining, probably due to loss of habitat in its winter range. Forestry practices such as fire suppression and salvage logging may also be detrimental as this species depends on high insect numbers in recently burned forests.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2012). "Contopus cooperi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Olive-sided Flycatcher Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology". www.allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2020-09-27.

Further reading[]

  • Willis, E.O.; Snow, D.W.; Stotz, D.F. & Parker III, T.A. (1993) Olive-sided Flycatchers in Southeastern Brazil Wilson Bulletin 105(1):

External links[]

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