The quiet and unobtrusive Fly Catchers

Al Lowe
Contributor

Many of these birds are ones you would hardly ever notice. With one or two exceptions, they have subdued colouring, and are quiet and unobtrusive. They go about their business of catching insects with a minimum of fuss and display, and usually tend to slip away as you come close.
There are two distinct groups of these birds in the world - a total of over 600 different species. In North America there are only 32 species, and in Northern Ontario, only eight.
The best known and most noticeable of these is the Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus). It is a fairly large bird, top half grey, bottom half white. When it flies, you can see a prominent white band at the end of its tail. Sometimes you may also see the red crownmark at the very top of its head. It sits on fence posts, bushes, low trees, etc., and flies out to catch insects on the wing. The Kingbird is named for its ability to harass crows, ravens and hawks to the point of driving them to distraction. If you see a crow flapping furiously and cawing loudly as a small bird buzzes around it like a World War 2 Spitfire, then you are likely watching a Kingbird in action.
Another large one is the Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchs critinus). As big as the Kingbird, this one has rusty red wings and tail and a yellow belly. It gets its name from a crest on its head which it can raise or lower as it wishes. It usually keeps to itself in the upper parts of the trees in the woods.
Then there are the six brownish ones. These are so much alike that only small differences separate them from each other. Most of them are quite shy, so you only get to see them for a short time. If you can identify them quickly, you are indeed a skilled birdwatcher. Most of them are largely brownish or greenish, with only minor variations.
The Eastern Phoebe can be recognized by its habit of wagging its tail up and down a lot. Its song is a distinct TEE-bee. It may build a mud nest under your eaves. The bird is grayish brown on top and yellowish gray underneath.
The Eastern Peewee looks very much the same - olive gray on top and yellow-gray below. It does, however, have a couple of light coloured wing bars. Its song is very distinctive, just as its name suggests ‘Pee-a-wee’.
The Olive-sided Flycatcher is another fairly large one in the group. It is really gray on top this time, with a nearly white breast. Sides of the breast have prominent dark patches, hence the nam.
The other three are so similar that even expert birdwatchers are often confused. They are the Yellow-bellied, the Alder, and the Least Flycatchers. They are so much alike that most of the bird books tell you that you can tell them apart only by their songs, or where they live.
All of these little unobtrusive birds are extremely valuable to us. They live on insects, most of which they catch on the wing. All have pointy beaks, and they have bristles around the base of the mouth to scoop up any near misses. The number of flies, mosquitoes, moths and butterfly pests and other insects destroyed by these birds is simply enormous. In a land of woods and trees, we couldn’t do without them.
Think about that while you are listening to the Phoebe, and slapping away at mosquitoes at the same time.