Flycatchers

In this gallery, you will see images of three nearly identical looking flycatchers belonging to the genus Empidonax. Nicknamed "empids" by birdwatchers, these small, olive-toned flycatchers look so similar that they can vex even the most advanced birder. Here, I include the following empids: Pacific-slope, Hammond's, and Willow, though there are several more (e.g., look for the Least Flycatcher in my Songbirds of Alberta gallery.) This is where birding by ear is so valuable. Every empid has a very unique song which, along with their habitat and geographic location, can identify them without ambiguity.