Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
The Least Flycatcher is a bird of eastern North America, but they nest in the northern USA as far west as Montana, Northern Idaho. Further north, they make summer homes in eastern British Columbia, and east across Canada’s Maritime Provinces and the northern tier of the USA to the east coast. When the season for raising babies ends, most of these smallest of all North American flycatchers migrate to southern Mexico and Central America.
Taxonomists regard the Least Flycatcher as monotypic (i.e. there are no subspecies).
While many bird species seek isolated nesting locations, far from other members of their species, these birds choose to nest in clusters or groups with an approximate distance of 150 to 200 feet between nesting pairs.
I met my first Least Flycatcher at Little Lake, Alberta (Canada) in 2005 during my expedition to Alaska. I followed the meeting less than a week later in Fort Nelson (British Columbia). I would not see them again until I found myself in south Texas during spring migration in early May 2021. After meeting them during a spring tour of Canada in 2022, I returned to south Texas for the fall migration season, and enjoyed their company once more on south Padre Island.
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
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Description: Another "first meeting" for me at Little Lake, Alberta, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:04 11:52 |
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Location:
Saskatoon Island Privicial Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/8.5, 1/320 |
File Name: JCD3468LeastFlycatcher |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
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Description: Fort Nelson, BC, Canada. |
Date Taken: 2005:06:12 10:16 |
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Location:
Fort Nelson |
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Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/7.6, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD4088LeastFlycatcher |
| © 2005 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
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Description: The primary (wing) feathers seemed right for a Least Flycatcher, and the head shape seemed better (more rounded) than the Acadian Flycatcher. It’s hard to tell them apart. It was a bright Sunday on South Padre Island, and I stayed over 9 hours. I started the morning with an hour at Sheepshead Sanctuary and drove to the Convention Centre for the rest of the day, and met a couple of birds new to me. |
Date Taken: 2021:05:02 17:44 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_D5X5401_SPI-ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
|
Description: The primary (wing) feathers aren't visible here, but the head shape seemed better for the Least Flycatcher. It’s hard to tell them apart. It was a bright Sunday on South Padre Island, and I stayed over 9 hours. I started the morning with an hour at Sheepshead Sanctuary and drove to the Convention Centre for the rest of the day, and met a couple of birds new to me. |
Date Taken: 2021:05:02 12:37 |
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Location:
Convention Center |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_D5X4860_SPI-ConventionCtr |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
|
Description: The primary (wing) feathers seemed right for a Least Flycatcher, and the head shape seemed better (more rounded) than the Acadian Flycatcher. It’s hard to tell them apart. It was a bright Sunday on South Padre Island, and I stayed over 9 hours. I started the morning with an hour at Sheepshead Sanctuary and drove to the Convention Centre for the rest of the day, and met a couple of birds new to me. |
Date Taken: 2021:05:02 10:08 |
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Location:
Sheepshead Bird Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_D5X4472_SPI-Sheepshead |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
|
Description: The primary (wing) feathers seemed right for a Least Flycatcher, and the head shape seemed better (more rounded) than the Acadian Flycatcher. It’s hard to tell them apart. It was a bright Sunday on South Padre Island, and I stayed over 9 hours. I started the morning with an hour at Sheepshead Sanctuary and drove to the Convention Centre for the rest of the day, and met a couple of birds new to me. |
Date Taken: 2021:05:02 9:43 |
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Location:
Sheepshead Bird Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/750 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_D5X4443_SPI-Sheepshead |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
|
Description: The primary (wing) feathers seemed right for a Least Flycatcher, and the head shape seemed better (more rounded) than the Acadian Flycatcher. It’s hard to tell them apart. It was a bright Sunday on South Padre Island, and I stayed over 9 hours. I started the morning with an hour at Sheepshead Sanctuary and drove to the Convention Centre for the rest of the day, and met a couple of birds new to me. |
Date Taken: 2021:05:02 9:19 |
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Location:
Sheepshead Bird Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_D5X4397_SPI-Sheepshead |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
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Description: Least Flycatchers added themselves to the list of tricky flycatcher identification challenges here on South Padre Island. |
Date Taken: 2022:09:18 12:20 |
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Location:
South Padre Island Bird and Natu |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_8504475-SPI-BNC |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
|
Description: Least Flycatchers added themselves to the list of tricky flycatcher identification challenges here on South Padre Island. |
Date Taken: 2022:09:12 10:00 |
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Location:
Sheepshead Bird Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/200 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_8502197-SPI.ConventionCentre |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
|
Description: Least Flycatchers added themselves to the list of tricky flycatcher identification challenges here on South Padre Island. |
Date Taken: 2022:09:12 10:00 |
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Location:
Sheepshead Bird Sanctuary |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/160 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_8502158-SPI.ConventionCentre |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
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Description: Least Flycatchers at the Boreal Center for Bird Conservation on the edge of Lesser Slave Lake were calling from every corner of the woods. |
Date Taken: 2022:07:06 10:59 |
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Location:
Boreal Centre For Bird Conservat |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_8509551-LesserSlaveLake.BorealBirdCentre |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
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Description: Least Flycatchers at the Boreal Center for Bird Conservation on the edge of Lesser Slave Lake were calling from every corner of the woods. |
Date Taken: 2022:07:06 10:59 |
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Location:
Boreal Centre For Bird Conservat |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/250 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_8509531-LesserSlaveLake.BorealBirdCentre |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
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Description: I paid a morning visit to the Boreal Center for Bird Conservation and met a community of birds that eluded me the previous afternoon. |
Date Taken: 2022:05:30 9:15 |
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Location:
Boreal Centre For Bird Conservat |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_8504611-BorealBirdCentre.LesserSlaveLake |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
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Description: I paid a morning visit to the Boreal Center for Bird Conservation and met a community of birds that eluded me the previous afternoon. |
Date Taken: 2022:05:30 9:14 |
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Location:
Boreal Centre For Bird Conservat |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_8504579-BorealBirdCentre.LesserSlaveLake |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
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Description: I paid a morning visit to the Boreal Center for Bird Conservation and met a community of birds that eluded me the previous afternoon. |
Date Taken: 2022:05:30 9:13 |
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Location:
Boreal Centre For Bird Conservat |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/400 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_8504549-BorealBirdCentre.LesserSlaveLake |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Least Flycatcher(Empidonax minimus) |
|
Description: I paid a morning visit to the Boreal Center for Bird Conservation and met a community of birds that eluded me the previous afternoon. |
Date Taken: 2022:05:30 9:07 |
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Location:
Boreal Centre For Bird Conservat |
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Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: LeastFlycatcher_8504484-BorealBirdCentre.LesserSlaveLake |
| © 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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