Bird GuideTyrant FlycatchersVariegated Flycatcher

Variegated Flycatcher

Variegated Flycatcher
Empidonomus varius
At a Glance Range & Identification Back to Top

At a Glance

The normal range of this flycatcher is entirely within South America. But the populations nesting in the southern part of that continent are strongly migratory; birds from that area sometimes make errors in navigation and wind up far outside their normal haunts. Such strays have been found at least four times in North America, in Maine, Ontario, Tennessee, and Washington.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Perching Birds
Conservation
Low Concern
Habitat
Forests and Woodlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Behavior
Flitter, Hovering

Range & Identification

Description

7-7 1/2" (18-19 cm). Very rare visitor from the tropics. Brown above and pale yellow below, with heavy streaks, two strong whitish stripes on face. Reddish edgings in wings and tail. Smaller than Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, with smaller bill, different face pattern.
Size
About the size of a Robin, About the size of a Sparrow
Wing Shape
Rounded
Tail Shape
Notched, Rounded, Square-tipped

Songs and Calls

“chee-chee-chu”, also high pitched buzz “zeeeeete”