Hammond's Flycatcher    Empidonax hammondii

Migratory Status: Neotropical migrant

PIF Population Estimate: 13 000 000

Percent of western hemisphere population breeding in boreal forest: <25%

BAM Effective Detection Radius (m) : 49.08

PIF Maximum Detection Distance (m) : 125

Canadian BBS Population trend: 0.7 n.s. (-1.0 to 2.3)

Life History

The Hammond’s Flycatcher is a small, rather drab, compact-looking flycatcher with a conspicuous eye-ring. Males and females look alike, brown-gray above and paler below. In fall and winter, both adults and juveniles usually have a yellowish tinge to the underparts. The bill is small and dark. Like most related flycatcher species, the Hammond’s Flycatcher has two wingbars that are olive-gray in adults and buffy in juveniles. Although Hammond’s Flycatchers are active birds, they can be difficult to spot as they forage in the mid to upper forest canopy.

The breeding range is primarily in the Rocky Mountains and westward, occurring from Alaska south to New Mexico. In the boreal forest, it is found mainly in Alaska, Yukon Territory and northeastern British Columbia. Hammond’s Flycatchers are generally interior forest nesters and prefer stands with a high content of large conifers, notably white spruce (Picea glauca) in boreal regions. In choice habitats, population densities may exceed 50 territorial males/km2. During migration and post-fledging periods, they frequent a variety of habitats, particularly riparian areas and forest edges. Their winter range is from southeastern Arizona to Central America, where they occupy mid to highland forested regions.

Males sing from perches within the canopy. The song typically consists of three phrases: a short “sileet”, followed by a buzzy “schilick”, finished with a high “chu-lup”. The song is often abbreviated to a short “schilick”. The common call is a low “pip”. The combination of infrequent singing and their habit of sitting still in the canopy while in song makes visual detection of the species difficult at times.

Seasonally monogamous, males mate with a single female each season, but not necessarily with the same mate in subsequent years. Males are highly territorial and aggressively chase away other male Hammond’s Flycatchers as well as other songbird species. Where range overlaps with Pacific-slope Flycatchers (Empidonax difficilis), frequent battles and noisy chases ensue; however, in suitable habitat the two species will nest in adjacent and overlapping territories.

Reference(s)

Sedgwick, J. A. 1994. Hammond's Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii), The Birds of North America Online, . A. Poole, Ed. Ithaca: Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology; Retrieved from The Birds of North America Online database: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/109