Contopus cooperi
The Olive-sided Flycatcher dwells in the penthouse of the coniferous forest: it often nests more than 50 ft. (15 m) up in trees and forages high above all other flycatchers. The call of the Olive-sided Flycatcher is one of the most distinctive avian voices in the Rocky Mountains. For novice birdwatchers, its most common call is often paraphrased as the simple and easily remembered quick-three-beers. The Olive-sided Flycatcher also breeds in spruce bogs across the boreal forest. Flycatchers, phoebes and kingbirds belong to the suborder of perching birds known as the 'suboscines,' which are characterized by their simple calls and drab plumage. The scientific name borealis is Latin for 'northern.' |
I.D.: Sexes similar: 'open,' dark olive-gray 'vest'; light throat and belly; olive brown upperparts; white rump patches; dark bill; no eye ring. Size: L 71/2 in. (19 cm). Range: locally common to uncommon migrant and breeder throughout the Rockies. Habitat: mature spruce-fir and riparian forests and burned over woodlands, often on steep slopes, in the montane and the subalpine. Nesting: high in a conifer, usually on a horizontal branch far from the trunk; nest is made with twigs and plant fibers and bound with spider silk; female incubates 3 eggs for 14 days. Feeding: flycatches insects from a perch. Voice: Male: chipper and lively quick-three-beers, with the second note highest in pitch; when excited, a descending pip-pip-pip. Similar Species: Western Wood-Pewee: smaller; lacks the white rump patches. |