American Grey Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

American Grey Flycatcher

Empidonax wrightii Baird, SF, 1858

12 gWeight

The American gray flycatcher, American grey flycatcher, or just gray flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii) as it is known in North America, is a small, insectivorous passerine in the tyrant flycatcher family.

Busiest months: January and April · Most records: United States, Mexico, Canada

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

American Grey Flycatcher has been recorded at 152 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Patagonia Lake State ParkUnited States2,141 records
  2. Catalina SPUnited States2,058 records
  3. Patagonia Lake SP – Birding TrailUnited States2,052 records
More places
  1. Anza Trail – TubacUnited States1,314 records
  2. Desert NWR – Corn CreekUnited States1,055 records
  3. Santa Gertrudis LaneUnited States767 records
  4. Patagonia-Sonoita Creek PreserveUnited States697 records
  5. Florida Canyon – lowerUnited States504 records
  6. Agua Caliente ParkUnited States461 records
  7. Floyd Lamb Park at Tule SpringsUnited States431 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesMexicoCanada

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The American gray flycatcher, American grey flycatcher, or just gray flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii) as it is known in North America, is a small, insectivorous passerine in the tyrant flycatcher family. It is common in the arid regions of western North America, especially the Great Basin. From sagebrush steppes to pinyon-juniper woodlands and ponderosa pine forests, this flycatcher forages for insects from shrubs or low tree branches.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the American Grey Flycatcher?

The American Grey Flycatcher weighs around 12 g.

Where does the American Grey Flycatcher live?

Its breeding range: North America: southwestern Canada and western USA. It is most often recorded in United States, Mexico and Canada.

When is the best time to see the American Grey Flycatcher?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January and April (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the American Grey Flycatcher endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the American Grey Flycatcher as Least Concern.

What does the American Grey Flycatcher eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the American Grey Flycatcher in?

It belongs to the family Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura (Tyrannidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
12 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
72 mm
Tail
61 mm
Bill
15 mm
Tarsus
18 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America: southwestern Canada and western USA

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Genus
Empidonax

Other birds in the genus Empidonax

Yellow-bellied FlycatcherYellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisAcadian FlycatcherAcadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescensWillow FlycatcherWillow FlycatcherEmpidonax trailliiAlder FlycatcherAlder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorumWhite-throated FlycatcherWhite-throated FlycatcherEmpidonax albigularisLeast FlycatcherLeast FlycatcherEmpidonax minimusHammond's FlycatcherHammond's FlycatcherEmpidonax hammondiiAmerican Dusky FlycatcherAmerican Dusky FlycatcherEmpidonax oberholseriPine FlycatcherPine FlycatcherEmpidonax affinisWestern FlycatcherWestern FlycatcherEmpidonax difficilisYellowish FlycatcherYellowish FlycatcherEmpidonax flavescensBuff-breasted FlycatcherBuff-breasted FlycatcherEmpidonax fulvifrons
American Grey Flycatcher

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Soraya. ↗

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