ID Quiz - June 9, 2020

It's a Willow Flycatcher, but your answer probably should be "Traill's" Flycatcher (Alder/Willow) or Empidonax sp.

A very important skill in bird identification is learning to recognize when you are not certain of an ID, which happens regardless of skill level. Sometimes views just aren't sufficient to ID a bird, which doesn't really seem to be the case with this close bird. However, there are species that look so similar that they basically indistinguishable visually. Such is the case with Alder and Willow Flycatchers, which were formerly combined as a single species, Traill's Flycatcher. They have since been split into separate species based in large part on their different vocalizations, which is critical in flycatchers because their songs are genetically determined, not learned like songbirds. This individual was identified by song.

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