General Description: Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii) are small, sexually monomorphic birds. As with other members of the genus, Empids are small, drab flycatchers with eye rings and wingbars. Most Empids have a bit of yellow-green on the back and belly, and this one is no different. The wing bars are white in spring plumage, but brownish in fall birds. Willow Flycatchers lack the pronounced teardrop-shaped white eye ring seen in some other Empids. The lower mandible is all yellow. The call is a "whit," song is "fitz-bew." When perched, flicks the tail upward.

Taxonomy: Passeriformes, Tyrannidae, Fluvicolinae.

Favored Habitat: Riparian areas.

Where to Find: Willow Flycatchers are not common around Las Vegas, but look and listen for them along the Virgin River, the Muddy River, and the Lower Las Vegas Wash (and elsewhere during migration).

Comments: The subspecies of Willow Flycatcher in the southwestern U.S. (California to Texas) is the Southwestern Willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus), which is listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act.