Home, near and far.
This species breeds across much of the western and northern United States, as well as southern Canada. Its non-breeding range extends from Nayarit and southwestern Oaxaca, Mexico, south to Panama and northwestern Colombia.
Birds Heard
FIELD GUIDE
FIELD GUIDE
Tyrant Flycatchers and Allies
Willow Flycatcher
Empidonax traillii
The Willow Flycatcher is a small, drab songbird found across North America, best identified by its distinctive voice. It was once considered the same species as the Alder Flycatcher, known collectively as "Traill's Flycatcher," due to their nearly identical appearance. These two species were officially split in 1973, with voice being the most reliable way to distinguish them in the field.
MigratorySmall songbirdDistinctive voiceInsectivorous
Meet the neighborhood - Length
- 14-15 cm
- Wingspan
- 22-24 cm
- Weight
- 11-14 g
Typical adult measurements.
Individuals and populations vary.
01 / The telltale details
You’ll know it
when you see it.
Start with shape and behavior. Then look for the smaller details.
- 01
Overall Plumage
Brownish-olive above with a slight yellowish wash on the belly and a whitish throat.
- 02
Wingbars
Features two whitish wingbars, which can be conspicuous. Juveniles have buff or yellowish-brown wingbars.
- 03
Eye-ring
Unlike many other Empidonax flycatchers, it has a very thin or nearly absent eye-ring.
- 04
Bill
Possesses a relatively large bill with a completely pale lower mandible.
02 / A place in the world
Where life
takes it.
Willow Flycatchers breed in moist, shrubby areas, often near standing or running water, such as willow thickets, brushy fields, and woodland edges. In some regions, they may also be found in drier scrubby areas. During winter, they inhabit tropical shrubby clearings and second growth, frequently near water.
Stay a while. Or follow the season.
Willow Flycatchers are migratory, breeding in North America and wintering in Central and South America. They typically arrive on their breeding grounds in late April to early May and depart for wintering areas by the end of September.
03 / Listen a little closer
A voice
of its own.
The song is a distinctive, sneezy sound. They also give a soft, dry call.
04 / The life behind the feathers
A day in its world.
On the menu.
Their diet consists primarily of insects, including wasps, bees, ants, beetles, flies, caterpillars, moths, and true bugs. They also consume some spiders and, occasionally, berries or seeds, particularly in the fall.
Willow Flycatchers primarily forage by catching insects in mid-air. They also pick insects from leaves while hovering. They often perch on top of or at the edges of shrubs, flying out to snatch prey.
A place to begin.
The female builds an open cup nest of grass, bark strips, and plant fibers, lined with soft materials. Nests are typically placed in a deciduous shrub or tree, often a willow, 1.2-4.6 meters (4-15 feet) above the ground, usually in a vertical or diagonal fork.
The little routines.
Males defend nesting territories by singing. Courtship behavior is not well documented but likely involves the male chasing the female. They are generally monogamous and may re-pair in subsequent seasons.
One more reason to pay attention
A familiar face.
A few surprises.
Before 1973, the Willow Flycatcher and Alder Flycatcher were considered a single species, known as Traill's Flycatcher.
The oldest recorded Willow Flycatcher was a female that lived to be at least 11 years old.
The Southwestern Willow Flycatcher subspecies (Empidonax traillii extimus) is federally endangered due to habitat loss and degradation.
05 / An eye for the difference
Could it be
someone else?
Behind these field notesResearch & references · 12 sources
AI-assisted species research. Prepared September 2026. Details can vary across regions and populations.