WESTERN BIRDS riycatcher 



insects which were sometimes so large as to make several 

 feedings. The female quite often foraged quite near the 

 nest in a damp place under the bank. Both birds sat 

 about on limbs not far from us and seemed not in the 

 least to mind our presence. 



Though the Western Flycatchers are nearly always 

 found along the mountain streams, we are told that they 

 also frequent the trees of the high hills v/here no water 

 is found. 



GENUS EMPIDONAX: TRAILL'S 

 FLYCATCHER. 



Traill's Flycatcher: Empidonax trailU trailli. 

 FAMILY— FLYCATCHERS. 



Another of these tantalizing midgets known as the 

 Traill's Flycatcher, lives in the west, breeding from 

 British Columbia and Idaho to southern California, 

 Arizona, New Mexico, and Tamaulipas, east to Missouri, 

 Illinois, and Ohio; wintering in Central America, south. 



In size and coloring it resembles the Acadian, being 

 browner above and darker below, the gray shading quite 

 covering the breast; bill not so broad and flat, but wing 

 bars and eye ring similar. 



The birds are fond of willow thickets of the lowlands, 

 but are also found breeding as high as five thousand 

 feet in the mountain canyons of the west, and in migra- 

 tions go as high as eight thousand feet, as well as spread- 

 ing through the valleys. 



The note given by Coues is ke-wink, ke-wink, given 

 slowly; and by Prof. Cook as a shrill, hurried pree-pe- 

 deer. 



The nest is placed in low trees or shrubs from one to 

 eight feet from the ground, usually in a crotch or fork, 



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