[obol] Alder Flycatchers in Oregon

[Wayne C. Weber]

Oregon Birders,

I am well aware of the long and controversial history of supposed
Alder Flycatchers in Oregon. This species also has a controversial
history in Washington, where there are only 2 or 3 accepted records
(all documented by recorded songs), and several other undocumented
records. I actually found the first Alder Flycatcher for Washington,
a singing bird near Oroville in 1991. However, as I did not have recording
equipment with me at the time, this record is undocumented and I never
submitted it to the Washington state Records Committee.

In British Columbia, however, Alder Flycatchers are a common and
widespread breeding species in most of the province east of
the Coast and Cascade Mountains, south nearly to the Thompson River.
Occasional singing birds on territory are found south of the normal
breeding range (e.g. in the Okanagan Valley, Nicola Valley, and at
Vancouver, where the first documented record was in 2006).

I am puzzled at the difficulty that many observers seem to have
in distinguishing songs of Alder and Willow Flycatchers. Their songs
are as different as those of any other 2 species of Empidonax.
I suspect the problem is mainly the lack of familiarity of many
OR and WA observers with Alder Flycatchers. The differences in
song patterns have been well described by Arch, and can be easily
heard on the several field guides to bird songs that
include both species. Other than the slight differences in song patterns
of southwestern Willow Flycatchers (extimus) mentioned by Arch,
there is very little geographic variation in songs of this species.
I can hear no significant differences in song patterns between
Willow Flycatchers in coastal BC, eastern Oregon (where I've heard lots
of them), and southern Ontario. I can assure observers that,
contrary to remarks made by Mike Patterson and Jeff Gilligan, there
are no noticeable regional dialects of Willow Flycatchers in the
Pacific Northwest, and no "intermediate" song patterns between
Alders and Willows.

Part of the problem may be the "fweee-beer"  call-note of Willow Flycatcher,
which is a call-note, not a song, but may be mistaken by some observers
for an Alder Flycatcher song. The quality is similar to that of an Alder,
but the pattern (pitch and timing) are very different (two-noted rather than
three-noted).

Basically, if you have a singing bird that does not sound EXACTLY like
an Alder Flycatcher song on the Peterson or other auditory field guides,
it is not an Alder Flycatcher.

Given the past confusion about Alder Flycatchers in OR, WA, and even
in extreme southern BC, I think it is essential to have a recording of
the song if a supposed Alder Flycatcher record is to be taken seriously
by a Records Committee. (I have successfully recorded Alder
Flycatchers in the Skagit Valley of WA, near Vancouver, and at
out-of-range locations in the southern BC Interior, but unfortunately
not the 1991 bird near Oroville, WA.)

As Arch pointed out, Alder Flycatchers normally migrate east of
the Rockies, and would be expected only as a very rare migrant in OR
and WA. However, there is another factor he didn't mention which
contributes to the scarcity of OR reports of the species. This is the fact
that Empidonax flycatchers (like Catharus thrushes) normally DO NOT
sing while on migration--  they sing only on their breeding territory.
This is in contrast to most warblers, which sing frequently in migration.
Thus, most Alder Flycatchers which DO show up in Oregon are
unlikely to sing. However, if an Alder shows up in June, and decides
that this is breeding habitat, it's much more likely to be singing.

When all is said and done, the Alder Flycatcher is probably the most
glaring of all omissions from the Oregon state list. It is highly
likely that a few individuals show up every year, but are overlooked
because they aren't singing, or inadequately documented if they
are singing. (All good birders should have some inexpensive recording
equipment and keep it with them, like their binoculars and cameras!)
Hopefully, Randy's bird will turn out to be a genuine Alder Flycatcher, or
if not, someone else will document one in the near future.


Wayne C. Weber, Ph.D.
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net