These little flycatchers migrate through Oasis Valley in April-May and then again in September. They breed in higher montane riparian areas, mountain chaparral, manzanita, and forest underbrush in Nevada and the Sierra-Cascades. They apparently breed sparingly in the Grapevine Mountains 20 miles to the west of our valley.
^A September migrant in a rabbitbrush stand.
Dusky flycatchers are difficult to separate from similar Empidonax species. They have shorter wing lengths than Hammond's flycatchers, and a shorter bill than Gray flycatchers. The eyering is incomplete and often looks like "spectacles" (Stephen Bailey personal communication 1983).
Although not a good field character, these flycatchers often flick their tail upwards.
Calls include "deew-whip", "dee-hic", and "wit".
^This one shows the moderate dusky wash on the breast and white throat. They usually forage below 30 feet over bushes and between trees. I photographed this individual foraging over a bulrush-lined spring, under a willow tree canopy three feet over the water (sitting on an old ranch fence).
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