TYRANT FLYCATCHERS: Family Tyrannidae [ 397 ] 



WRIGHT'S FLYCATCHER is as much at home in eastern Oregon on the dry 

 sage slopes as it is among the aspen groves of the mountain meadows 

 and is a common species in its chosen haunt, where it flits about from a 

 perch in the top of a sage bush to one on the lower limb of a gnarled 

 aspen. It arrives in May (earliest date, May 15, Baker County) and 

 remains until September (latest date, September 2.1, Wallowa County). 

 It so closely resembles Hammond's Flycatcher that it is almost impossible 

 to distinguish it in life, although occasionally its whitish outer tail 

 feathers can be seen and, taken in conjunction with its paler breast, make 

 a fairly good field mark. With the specimens in hand, the difference in 

 the length of the primaries serves best to separate these two very similar 

 forms. 



This species was first listed from Oregon by Merrill (1888), who found 

 it at Fort Klamath. Bendire (1895) recorded three Oregon nests, two 

 from Fort Klamath, June 2.4 and July 14, 1882., and one from the Deschutes 

 River, June 12., 1882.. Woodcock (1902.) repeated Bendire's records. Peck 

 (191 la) reported it from Malheur County. Shelton (1917) listed it from 

 Crescent and Diamond Lakes, and Prill (192.2^) from Warner Valley. 

 Keller (i89ib) recorded a set of eggs taken at Salem in 1890, but we are 

 inclined to believe that this may have been confused with some other 

 small flycatcher, as there are few records of this bird in western Oregon. 

 Walker took one at Mulino, Clackamas County, May 5, 1913, and Jewett 

 (Coll. No. 989) has one taken at Tillamook, May 2.4, 1913. It is pos- 

 sible, of course, for such an obscure bird to be overlooked, but we have 

 collected many small flycatchers in western Oregon since then and not 

 one of them has been E. wrighti. 



Aside from the egg records of Bendire, we have two, one June 5 (Baker 

 County) and the other June 13 (Klamath County), which would indicate 

 about the same breeding season for this as for the other small flycatchers. 

 Patterson listed two nests in the vicinity of Pinehurst, one May 5 and 

 the other May 2.0. 



Gray Flycatcher: 



Empidonax griseus Brews ter 



DESCRIPTION. "Nearest to wrighti, but larger and much grayer, washed with 

 darker on chest; bill longer, basal half of lower mandible flesh colored in strong 

 contrast to blackish tip. " (Bailey) Nest: In sagebrush or small trees, built of plant 

 fibers and shredded bark. Eggs: 3 or 4, cream buff. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds in intermountain country from eastern Oregon and 

 eastern California to northeastern Colorado. Winters from southern California 

 and Arizona southward into Mexico. In Oregon: Regular summer resident and 

 breeding bird of sagebrush areas east of Cascades. 



THE GRAY FLYCATCHER closely resembles Wright's but is larger and grayer. 

 While in Oregon, it is most at home in the luxuriant growth of sage 



