How to Identify aAsh-throated Flycatcher
Myiarchus cinerascens · 7.5–8.3 in (19–21 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Grayish-brown above with a pale gray throat and chest, washed-out yellow belly and rufous edges in the wings and tail. Sexes look alike.
Female
Identical to the male in the field.
Male photo: docentjoyce on Flickr / Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0 · Second photo: TonyCastro / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Field marks
- Very pale gray throat blending softly into a faint yellow belly
- Rufous in the wings and tail
- Slightly bushy-headed look
- Dark tail tip visible from below
Similar species
What it sounds like
A soft rolling "ka-brick" and a burry "prrrt", much quieter than its eastern relatives.
Behaviour that gives it away
Can go its whole life without drinking, taking all the water it needs from insects and fruit.
Habitat & range
Desert scrub, oak and juniper woodland, and dry brushy country across the West.
When you'll see it
A summer visitor that arrives to breed in western and southwestern North America.
What it eats
Insects and spiders, plus small fruits.
Did you know?
It gets all the moisture it needs from its food, and has been recorded never drinking free water at all.
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