Flycatchers. 



Order, Passeres. 

 Family, Tyrannidae. 



Family Characteristics: Generally drab above and white beneath 

 or dark olive above and pale yellow beneath. 



The kingbirds are noisy. The phoebe and pewee call their names 

 plaintively. Flycatchers usually sally forth for insects returning at 

 once to their original perches. Their bills are short and their mouths 

 wide and they generally have small hairs at the base of the bill. De- 

 voted partners, they are usually seen in pairs. They are the greatest 

 insect destroyers known unless it be the swallows. 



444. KINGBIRD. (Beebird.) Tyrannus tyrannus. Eight inches 

 long. Black above. White beneath. Black tail, edged with white 

 band. Has a concealed red crest. Usually four eggs, spotted with 

 brown. A great bug- and fly-eater. 



447. ARKANSAS KINGBIRD. Tyrannus verticalis. Nine inches 

 long. Easily known from its resemblance in habits to the kingbird. 

 Brownish drab above, pale yellow below. Black tail. A great chatterer. 

 Its nest and eggs are almost exactly like those of the kingbird and It 

 has also the concealed crest of red. Very common. 



459. OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. Nuttallornis Borealis. Seven 

 inches long. Olive on sides with light yellow throat. Dark olive above, 

 points darkest, the head, wings and tail being an olive-black. It has 

 strongly the characteristics of its family. 



452. CRESTED FLYCATCHER. Myiarchus crinitus. Nine inches 

 long. Distinguished by a crest. Olive above and light yiellow be- 

 low except for dark gray throat. Brown points. Two white wing-bars. 



467. LEAST FLYCATCHER. (Chebec.) Empidonax minimus. 

 Slightly smaller than an English sparrow. Olive gray above, dull white 

 below. Its two white wing-bars and the calling of its name, chebec, 

 serve to identify it. 



456. PHOEBE. Sayornis phoehe. Seven inches long. Black 

 brownish-gray, darkest on crown. Breast yellowish white. Looks like 

 a pocket edition of kingbird. Record — never did wrong. Pronounces 

 his name often. Nests under bridges. Eggs white. Insect-eater. 



461. WOOD PEWEE. Contopus virens. About the size of an 

 English sparrow. Dull olive above, dull gray below. Calls its name, 

 "pe-wee", "pe-wee", "pe-wee", at long intervals. Resembles phoebe, 

 but is smaller. Two white wing-bars. 



