370 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YOSEMITE 



Hammond Flycatcher. Empidonax hammondi (Xaiitus) 



Field characters. — Similar to those for Wriglit Flycatcher (which see). If seen at 

 very close range, the following features (to judge from specimens in hand) might prove 

 usable: Coloration both above and below as in Wright Flycatcher but darker more 

 slaty gray; size, especially of bill, less. Voice: Like that of Wright Flycatcher, but less 

 in volume and thought to be not so varied. Call note a weak pit; song, see'tvit, pseet, 

 sivers, etc., these three notes repeated many times with little variation. 



Occurrence. — Moderately common summer visitant to Canadian Zone on west slope 

 of Sierra Nevada. Recorded by us from Merced Grove and Chinquapin east to Porcu- 

 pine Flat and Merced Lake. Found in migration at Pleasant Valley (May 25, 1915). 

 One obtained in Yosemite Valley, September 23, 1917 (J. Mailliard, 1918, p. 18). 

 Eestricted closely to red fir forests during nesting season; forages singly, 20 to 100 feet 

 above the ground. 



The Hammond Flycatcher during its summer sojourn in the Yosemite 

 region is a constant associate of the red firs. This of course means that 

 it is found in only a limited portion of the Canadian Zone and only on 

 the west side of the mountains. The Wright Flycatcher occurs in the 

 same territory, as well as elsewhere, but it usually keeps near the ground 

 in or close above brush patches, while the Hammond rarely strays below 

 a height of 20 feet, keeping, rather, far aloft among the towering firs. 



At Pleasant Valley, on May 25, 1915, Hammond Flycatchers were 

 passing through in migration, although on May 25, 1919, birds of this 

 species were found to be already located in the red firs at Tamarack Flat 

 and even earlier (May 20) near Chinquapin. During the nesting season 

 the species keeps close to its favorite forest trees, but after the broods 

 of young are reared the young at least begin to wander higher into the 

 mountains and to invade the Hudsonian Zone. On August 22, 1915, an 

 immature bird was taken at 10,000 feet altitude on the north side of Mount 

 Clark ; two others were seen that day at 10,500 feet on the upper slopes 

 of the same peak. The latest seasonal record is for August 28, 1915, when 

 two immature birds were collected one mile east of Merced Lake. A small 

 flycatcher seen at close range in this same locality on September 1, 1915, 

 was thought to be a Hammond, 



The call note of the Hammond Flycatcher is weaker than that of the 

 "Wright, being a soft pit. And the song is usually simpler and weaker 

 in delivery than that of the Wright, and may be written as see' wit, pseet, 

 swerz, etc. This three-part song is uttered at varying intervals for many 

 minutes as the bird perches on the terminal twig of some outstanding dead 

 branch two-thirds the way toward the top of a fir. When foraging the 

 birds display considerable activity, changing their locations every 5 or 

 10 seconds. This may mean that flying insects are less abundant upward 

 of 100 feet above the ground than at lower levels and must be more sought 



