Bird Lore: Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Photo by Carol Riddell)
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Photo by Carol Riddell)

The Pacific-slope Flycatcher is a short-distance migrant that is moving through Puget Sound Country right now. Flycatchers can be difficult to see as they often stay high in the canopy of trees when they move through in migration. They are more frequently heard and then seen by locating the source of their song.

Yost Park is a reliable site in Edmonds to hear and then see the Pacific-slope Flycatcher. But with the right vegetation, you could see one in or near your own yard. North Edmonds properties, with more trees and shade, may be attractive sites for this bird. Another viewing opportunity occurs in late July and August when this species is in its southbound migration.

Yost Park is a natural for the Pacific-slope Flycatcher because its preferred habitats are moist woods, mixed forests, and shady canyons. That sums up the park. When this flycatcher is in mixed forests, it seems to favor deciduous growth along streams, such as maples or alders. The deciduous trees along the road between Yost’s swimming pool and the east gate often host the first Edmonds Pacific-slope Flycatchers of spring. Pine Ridge Park is another public site at which this species has been seen. Southwest County Park should also be considered because Perrinville Creek runs through it and it offers a shady mix of conifers and deciduous trees.

Diet of the Pacific-slope Flycatcher, as its name suggests, is made up mostly of insects. It eats flies, true bugs, small wasps, bees, caterpillars, moths, and beetles, among others. It also eats a few berries and seeds. Its name also suggests how it forages, It watches from a perch at any level within a shady part of a tree and then flies out to catch insects in the air. It will also take some insects from foliage or twigs by hovering.

Sometimes the Pacific-slope Flycatcher will locate its nest in the fork of a small tree. Natural sites are usually on or near the ground, such as in a cleft of a vertical stream bank, among the upturned roots of a fallen tree or on a stump. Artificial sites for nests include under small bridges, on shed rafters, and even in carports and under decks. The female builds the nest. It is a cup of moss, grass, rootlets, strips of bark, lichens, and leaves. It is lined with hair, feathers, and plant fibers. The female incubates her 3-4 eggs for about two weeks. Both parents bring food to the chicks. Age at first flight is about 14-18 days.

There is little information on population trends for the Pacific-slope Flycatcher, but the population appears to be stable or slightly declining. Clear-cutting Pacific Northwest forests has not helped this flycatcher. There is an estimated global breeding population of 7.4 million birds: 68 percent breeding in the U.S., 32 percent breeding in Canada, and all of them wintering in the lowlands of western and southern Mexico. The 68 percent of the breeding population that is in the U.S. concentrates its nesting in our PNW forests.

You can hear the song of the Pacific-slope Flycatcher here: https://www.xeno-canto.org/178942. Early in the season males sing throughout the day.

— By Carol Riddell

Carol Riddell manages the bird education displays, on behalf of Pilchuck Audubon Society and Edmonds Parks & Recreation, at the Olympic Beach Visitor Station.

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