Tyrant Flycatchers

Great Crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus

Family Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)

Size: 8.5"

Season: Summer

Habitat: Open woodlands and scrub, urban areas

The great crested flycatcher is a large flycatcher with a proportionately large head and full crest. The upperparts and head are olive brown, and the throat and breast are gray with a bright-yellow belly. The primaries and tail show rufous color, while the margins to the tertials and coverts are white. Both sexes and the juvenile are similar in plumage. In flight note the yellow wing linings and rufous tail. It feeds by flying from perch to perch, catching insects in flight. It is often seen erecting its crown feathers and bobbing its head. Its voice is a high-pitched, whistling wheeeerup! The adult is illustrated.