Olive-Sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)


Group	Flycatchers
Code	ABPAE32010
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Tyrannidae
Author	(Nuttall, 1831)
Rank	G5 (definitions)
Occurrence	LM (definitions)
Scale	C (definitions)

County List:


Western UP	all
Eastern UP	all
Northern LP	Wexford, Montmorency, Alcona, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, Iosco, Kalkaska, Ogemaw, Leelanau, Mason, Grand Traverse, Emmet, Alpena, Antrim, Benzie, Cheboygan, Clare, Crawford
Southern LP	none

Rule:

Forested or Mixed Forested/Nonforested Landscapes

1st alternative:
      (Spruce/Fir (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Jack Pine (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Tamarack (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Black Spruce (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or Treed Bog
   containing:
      Stand/Gap Openings
      and (Snags or Perches)

2nd alternative:
      (Spruce/Fir (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Jack Pine (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Tamarack (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Black Spruce (Pole or Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or Treed Bog
   containing:
      (Snags or Perches)
   adjacent to:
      (Lowland Brush or Riparian or Edge)

view decision rule term definitions

Habitat List:

Habitats	Regen	Sap	Pole	Sm Saw	Lg Saw	Uneven
Aspen	no	no	no	no	no	-
Paper Birch	no	no	no	no	no	-
Oak	no	no	no	no	no	no
Assorted Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Spruce/Fir	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES
Hemlock	no	no	no	no	no	no
Jack Pine	no	no	no	YES	YES	YES
Red Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
White Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Conifer Plantations	no	no	no	no	no	-
Mixed Upland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Northern Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Upland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Pine	no	no	no	no	no	no
Swamp Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Balsam Poplar & Swamp Aspen & Swamp Birch	no	no	no	no	no	no
Bottomland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Tamarack	no	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Northern White Cedar	no	no	no	no	no	no
Black Spruce	no	no	YES	YES	YES	YES
Mixed Lowland Hardwoods	no	no	no	no	no	no
Mixed Lowland Conifer	no	no	no	no	no	no
Non-Forested	Lowland Brush, Treed Bog
Special Features	Snags, Edges, Riparian, Stand (Gap) Openings, Perches

view size class definitions

Literature:

Evers, D. C. 1991. Olive-sided Flycatcher. Pages 276-277 In: R. Brewer, G. A. McPeek, and R. J. Adams, Jr. (eds.) The atlas of breeding birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Press, East Lansing. 594 pp.

Habitat: This relatively large flycatcher prefers openings in coniferous forests; it occurs in a variety of conifer communities including spruce, tamarack, and pine. In Michigan, territorial individuals occur in wet coniferous forest such as tamarack-black spruce peatlands, beaver floodings with an abundance of snags, spruce-lined ponds and lakes, edge habitats adjacent to sedge meadows and other wet openings, and dry coniferous forests. Clearcuts, burned areas, and other pine-associated openings are heavily used in the northern Lower Peninsula and occasionally in the Upper Peninsula. Snags, tree stubs, and prominent tree tops are important as perching sites from which individuals sing and forage.

Nests are well concealed and difficult to locate; only two occupied nests were found during the Atlas period. Their stick nests typically are placed on horizontal limbs of conifers, particularly spruce. In Ontario, nest heights averaged 7 to 10 m from the ground and the distance of the nest from the trunk ranged from 0.3 to 2.5 m.

DeGraaf, R. M. and D. D. Rudis. 1986. New England wildlife: habitat, natural history, and distribution. GTR NE-108. Broomall, PA:USDA, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 491 pp.

Habitat: Breeding: Coniferous (spruce) forests near edges and clearings, often along wooded streams and borders of northern bogs and muskegs, burned-over areas with a few dead trees for perches. Prefers to be near water.

Kaufman, K. 1996. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 675 pp.

Habitat: Conifer forests, burns, clearings. Breeds mostly in coniferous forest of the north and the higher mountains, especially around the edges of open areas including bogs, ponds, clearings.

Diet: Insects. Apparently feeds almost entirely on flying insects. In summer, a high percentage of these are various kinds of wasps, winged ants, and bees, including many honeybees. Also eats beetles, grasshoppers, true bugs, moths, and others.

Nest: Site is in tree, usually on horizontal branch well out from the trunk. Conifers preferred in most areas, but in other areas will often nest in deciduous trees; height also quite variable, 5-70 feet above ground. Nest usually well hidden among dense twigs or needles. Nest a flat open cup of twigs, grass, weeds, lined with finer materials.