Dusky Flycatcher

Notice tertials short, stubby

Birding – so much fun

 Went birding again today and for the first time I photographed a Dusky Flycatcher…..It is an Empidonax flycatcher……

“But the toughest group of North American birds to identify in the field has to be the assorted Empidonax flycatchers.”  – from the internet

“Dusky and Hammond’s Flycatchers are so similar that telling them apart is a true challenge. Color and pattern do not help. Even the voices, usually the most helpful character in distinguishing Empidonax flycatchers, are quite similar. In the field, birders use “primary projection” to distinguish the two species visually: the tips of the primary feathers that stick out past the innermost flight feathers (tertials) are rather short and stubby in Dusky Flycatcher, notably longer, narrower, or pointier in Hammond’s.” All About Birds – The Cornell Lab

I’ll throw in a couple of images of a Hammond’s, which I am sure that you are all extremely excited to see. NOT!