Alder Flycatcher

Alder Flycatcher
Alder Flycatchers hunt in the airspace below the canopy of tall alders in swamps or along creeks. They sit erect on a twig, then dart out after flying insects. This species has a more northerly distribution than its close relative the Willow Flycatcher. The Alder Flycatcher came to be considered distinct from the Willow when studies revealed that the song patterns and breeding habits of these species differed. In the fall, when they do not sing, they are indistinguishable.

Physical Description
The Alder Flycatcher is slightly smaller than a House Sparrow. Olive above with a whitish throat, pale-olive breast and pale-yellow belly. Their tail is brown and their blackish wings are contrasted by whitish or pale-yellow wing bars. Wing bars are more buff-colored in immature birds. Although they do have a faint eye ring, a more distinctive trait is their pale-orange lower mandible. Indistinguishable in appearance from Willow Flycatcher, and best identified by voice, breeding habitat and nest.

Distribution and Breeding Habitat
Alder Flycatchers breed from Alaska east through Manitoba to Newfoundland and south to British Columbia, Great Lakes region, and southern New England. As indicated by its name, the Alder Flycatcher is common in alder and birch thickets near riparian areas and in swamps, bogs and ponds. Usually, they occur in denser and wetter habitats.
Alder Flycatcher Range Map

Diet
The Alder Flycatcher feeds on insects, berries and a few seeds. These birds hover and snatch flying prey from the air and also glean insects, berries and seeds from vegetation.

Nesting Behavior
It is believed that the female is the builder of the compact, cup-shaped nests. Built in upright or slanting forks of small, low shrubs, the nests are made from bark, weeds, stems and grasses. Their untidy nests are then sparsely lined with grasses and pine needles. The 2-4, white eggs of the clutch are spotted with browns near the larger ends. The female alone incubates the eggs for 12-13 days. During the next 13-14 days prior to fledging, both parents care for the young.

Winter Movement and Dispersal
Alder Flycatchers spend their winters in South America.