Avise's Birds of the World

Dusky Flycatcher
Empidonax oberholseri

Native Range: North America

Notes: this is another in a large group of small-sized Empidonax flycatchers that constitute a "sibling-species" complex, meaning that the species are nearly impossible to tell apart from one another in the field by plumage and morphology alone; instead, identification to a particular species relies on a combination of clues including habitat, subtle plumage features, behaviors in some cases, and especially the species' distinctive songs (which originally gave biologists the best hint that multiple species were present). Especially when breeding, this western species prefers low chapparal, brush, and small trees whereas its relative the Dusky Flycatcher prefers tall conifers.