Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens)

County List:

Rule:

Forested or Mixed Forested/Nonforested Landscapes

This species is thought to be area sensitive.  It is less common in woodlots below the 90-250 acre class.

1st alternative:
      (Northern Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Mixed Northern Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))

2nd alternative:
      (Swamp Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Bottomland Hardwoods (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
   adjacent to:
      Riparian

Habitat List:

view size class definitions

Literature:

Habitat: It is the bird of the deciduous forest. The Atlas Habitat Survey had only 15 records, all but one from deciduous forest. The preference of the species is clearly for wet forest, such as floodplains, but it is also an important species of mesic forest and occurs in unpastured dry forest, sometimes including small farm woodlots. It also breeds in northern hardwoods-hemlock-white pine forests.

Nests are almost invariably built on a forked branch far out from the main trunk. In Emmett Township, Calhoun Co., 41 of 44 nests were built in beech, 2 in sugar maple, and 1 in white oak. In Convis Township (Calhoun Co.) where there were no beech, 14 nests were built in sugar maple, 1 in witch hazel, 2 in black oak, and 1 in black cherry. In Muskegon Co., in the northern hardwood forest, 21 nests were in beech, 31 in hemlock, 2 in sugar maple, 2 in gray birch, and 1 in witch hazel. The average height of 138 nests were 4.1 m (range 1.1-16.8 m); Mumford found an almost identical mean height. As Mumford observed, nests tend to be built over a clear area, such as a path or other opening. It is possible that a seeming tendency to nest in ravines, or potholes may be connected with the preference for unobstructed space below the nest.

The Acadian Flycatcher is an area-sensitive species being drastically less common in woodlots below the 36-102 ha class (about 90-250 acres).

Habitat: Breeding: Deciduous woodlands, shaded ravines, heavily wooded bottomlands, river swamps, hummocks of cypress ponds.

Habitat: Dense forests, ravines, swampy woods, beech groves. Breeds mostly in wet deciduous forest, such as swamps or dense riverside woods; also in the understory of drier woods. Often nests in beech trees where they occur.

Diet: Mostly insects. Feeds on a wide variety of insects, especially wasps, bees, ants, caterpillars, and beetles, also flies, moths, true bugs and others. Also eats some spiders, millipedes, and some small fruits and berries.

Nest: Site is in tree or large shrub, usually deciduous, averaging 13 feet above ground, sometimes 4-50 feet up. Usually suspended within horizontal fork of branch well out from trunk. Nest is a rather loosely made cup of weed stems, twigs, grass, and other plant fibers, sometimes lined with finer materials such as rootlets and plant down. Webs of spiders and caterpillars probably help to hold nest together. Usually has trailing strands of weeds or other materials hanging below, giving nest a sloppy or abandoned appearance.