Saw a few juvenile Great Crested Flycatchers today looking for water; they are a large flycatcher with a yellow breast and reddish tail feathers and a peculiar call: a “wep wep wep” with a whistle tone:
A treetop hunter of deciduous forests and suburban areas, the Great Crested Flycatcher is easier to hear than to see. The only eastern flycatcher that nests in cavities, it often includes snakeskin in the nest lining.
Cool Facts
- Many, but not all, Great Crested Flycatcher nests contain shed snakeskin. Other crinkly materials, such as plastic wrappers, cellophane, and onion skin, may be used.
- The Great Crested Flycatcher is a bird of the treetops. It spends very little time on the ground, and does not hop or walk. It prefers to fly from place to place on the ground rather than walk.
- The Great Crested Flycatcher makes the same “wee-eep” calls on the wintering grounds that it makes in summer.
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