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This hatch year Tropical Kingbird showed up along the upper Texas coast a week ago. This bird made its distinctive twittering call, but it is has the classic plumage and structural features of Tropical. To distinguish from Couch's, some features to pay attention to are the long bill, the dingy chest, and the pale edges to the primaries. Couch's has a slightly shorter, more conical bill, a rounder head, blacker primary panel, and a more yellow chest. Learn more from @lalabirding and my new field guide to flycatchers of north america: myiarcus and kingbirds. press.princeton.edu/books/pa…

It's time. Flycatcher's are on the move south in full force across the continent. Here is a hatch year Great Crested Flycatcher from Montrose Point, Chicago in August. Look at the bold, white edge to the top tertial. Learn more with @lalabirding and my field guide to flycatchers - myiarchus and kingbirds press.princeton.edu/books/pa…

A pair of Western Kingbirds. Jet black tail with white outer margin to the outermost tail. Long primaries, especially p10. Male has a deeply notched p10 (upper bird). To learn more, see @LALABirding and my field guide to flycatchers of north america - kingbirds and myiarchus. press.princeton.edu/books/pa…

This is a map of Yellow-bellied Flycatcher reports in eBird for the month of April over the last 30 years. It looks like these flycatchers mysteriously appear in the United States in April without any record of passage through Mexico. Part of this could be less coverage in Mexico, but...

How do you identify Myiarchus flycatchers? Sometimes the tail pattern is diagnostic. Look at the shape of dark outer margins of the tail feathers. In this one, the dark outer margin hooks inwards at the tip. What flycatcher is this? Learn more at @lalabirding and my vol 2 of the field guide to flycatchers of North America: Myiarchus and Kingbirds press.princeton.edu/books/pa…

Brown-crested Flycatchers have returned to central Texas. Here is a photo showing the characteristic tail pattern - thick and straight dark outer margin to the tail. Learn more with @LALABirding (Andrew Birch) and my new field guide to flycatchers, just out this month. press.princeton.edu/books/pa…

The Myiarchus are coming in across the US right now. This is an Ash-throated Flycatcher from central Texas in March. The hills are alive with their calls. It's time for @LALABirding and my second volume of field guide to North American Flycatchers! If you like rectrice patterns... press.princeton.edu/books/pa…

How do you identify a yellow-bellied kingbird? learn more with Volume 2 of the Field guide to the Flycatchers of North America by @lalabirding and me. @PrincetonNature

Vol 2 of Flycatchers of North America is officially open for pre-order @PrincetonNature for delivery in April. Myiarchus flycatchers and kingbirds. Here is a sneak preview of a comparative plate from @lalabirding. And here is a mystery flycatcher to whet your appetite. press.princeton.edu/books/pa…

It’s here! Volume 2 of Flycatchers - Myiarchus and Kingbirds. Arrives on May 7! This volume benefited from your feedback on Vol 1. Over the next few weeks Andy Birch @LALABirding and I will share little snippets of the book. This group of flycatchers may be even harder than empids but we try to make it accessible to all. @PrincetonNature

Nutting's Flycatcher (a Mexican bird, very rare in the US) in Big Bend National Park, west Texas. There are at least 3 individuals in the park right now. This is one of few in flight photographs of a Nutting's.