Family Tyrant-flycatchers (Tyrannidae)
Least Concern
Buff-breasted Flycatcher (Empidonax fulvifrons)
Taxonomy
French: Moucherolle beige German: Orangebrust-Schnäppertyrann Spanish: Mosquero pechicanelo
Taxonomy:
Muscicapa fulvifrons
Giraud
, 1841,Miquiahuana, Tamaulipas, Mexico
.
Subspecies and Distribution
E. f. pygmaeus
Coues, 1865 – SW USA (SE Arizona, formerly farther N in Arizona and SW New Mexico) and NW Mexico (E Sonora, N Chihuahua, N Sinaloa, S Coahuila); winters SC Mexico (S to Michoacán and Morelos).
E. f. rubicundus
Cabanis & Heine, 1860 – #Rhighlands in C Mexico locally from S Chihuahua S to Guerrero and Puebla; winters S to Guatemala.
E. f. fulvifrons
(Giraud, 1841) – SW Tamaulipas (E Mexico).
E. f. fusciceps
Nelson, 1904 – highlands of S Mexico (Chiapas) and Guatemala.
E. f. brodkorbi
A. R. Phillips, 1966 – S Oaxaca (S Mexico).
E. f. inexpectatus
Griscom, 1932 – C & S Honduras; one record, perhaps this race, in extreme NW Nicaragua#R.
Descriptive notes
11·5–13 cm; 8 g. Small, distinctively coloured Empidonax. Nominate race has pale supraloral line, prominent white eyering; rest of head and nape and upperparts... read more
Voice
Common call “pit” or “pic”. Song, by both sexes during breeding, male from perch 1–20 m high... read more
Habitat
Breeds in scrub, pastures, and pine (Pinus) and oak (Quercus) woodland with open... read more
Food and feeding
Arthropods, including hymenopterans, hemipterans, Beetles (Coleoptera), orthopterans, lepidopterans, dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata... read more
Breeding
Late May to Jul in USA (Arizona) and mid-Mar to mid-Sept in Mexico. Nest constructed by female, an oval-shaped cup of small rootlets,... read more
Movements
Mainly resident; N populations migrate S and others move downslope in winter. Populations in... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Uncommon to common or fairly common; overall population estimated at 2,000,000 birds. Disappeared from USA during last century;... read more
Thought to form a clade with E. atriceps, E. wrightii, E. minimus, E. hammondii, E. oberholseri and E. affinis#R. Validity of several races doubtful; nominate and brodkorbi known only from holotypes. Six subspecies currently recognized.