Sulphur-Bellied Flycatcher: New to Ontario and Canada by Mark Gawn

87 Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher: New to Ontario and Canada by Mark Gawn September 28, 1986 was one of bird from various angles and dis- those wet, grey days which seem to lances, and were able to take rain birds. The morning saw detailed notes on plumage and Presqu'ile Provincial Park, behaviour characteristics. At the Northumberland County, Ontario, same time, Beck was able to obtain awash with birds. However, it was several diagnostic photographs of not until afternoon that Tony Beck, the bird. Although the sun was Tom Plath and the author ventured obscured by clouds, we were able to into CalfPasture. While the other discern many fine details of the two chased after a flock of passer- bird's plumage in neutral lighting ines in what turned out to be the conditions. Despite its ability to wrong direction, Beck wandered stay out of sigh~ 150 to 200 people along the edge ofPresqu'ile Bay, were able to observe the bird over looking for "photographic opportu- the next three days. It was last nities". He was not to be disap- reported on the morning ofI pointed. October (R. D. McRae, pers. At approximately 1400h, Beck comm.). discovered a large "streaked" flycatcher which he tentatively iden- Description tified as a Sulphur-bellied Throughout most of our observa- Flycatcher (Myiodynastes luteiven- tion, the flycatcher selected incon- tris). He took several pictures, then spicuous perches well hidden in the ran to fetch the author and Plath. middle story of tall eastern cotton- Unfortunately the bird had disap- woods (Populus deltoides). It was peared before the other two mem- often nearly obscured from view by bers of the party arrived. After a thick tangles of Virginia creeper frustrating one and a half hour (Parthenocissus vitacea) or wild search the three of us left to put out grape (Vilis riparia). Occasionally an alert on the bird as a "streaked" it perched in the open, usually fairly flycatcher. Within minutes of our high in the trees. When perched, it return, a half hour later, the author generally maintained an upright rediscovered the bird as it flitted posture. Its infrequent flights con- from one hiding place to another. sisted ofa quick swoop to an equal- For the following two hours a ly well hidden spot. We did not see small group ofbirders observed the it do any flycatching sorties, Mark Gawn 1045 Alenmede Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario K2B 8H2 VOLUME 5 NUMBER 3 88 Figure 1: Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, 28 Sept. to 1Oct. 1986, Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Northumberland. Photo (28 Sept.) by Tony Beck. although it did pluck insects from The bird had a large black bill leaves near its perch. While the bird similar to that of a Gray Kingbird did not flick or pump its tail, it did (Tyrannus dominicensis). The bill raise the feathers of its forecrown was slightly "hooked" at the tip and several times, giving it a "peaked" was flanked by long bristles at the effect over the eyes. Several times base (Figure 2). At close range the it perched with drooped wings, with gape was noted to be pinkish. the outennost primaries splayed out. When seen from below, the lower The bird's gestalt was that of a mandible was proximally one third heavy-headed "kingbird" pinkish, the rest being black. The (Tyrannus sp.), a conclusion imme legs were dark grey or black. diately contradicted by its streaked The crown and nape were grey breast, head, and back, and its strik ish-brown with faint darker streak ingly rufous tail (Figure 1). Direct ings; there was no contrast between comparisons allowed us to ascertain the crown and the nape. On the day that it was slightly larger than a following the discovery of the bird, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker observers were able to note the yel (Sphyrapicus varius),. low median stripe (Ian Jones, pers. ONTARIO BIRDS DECEMBER 1987 89 stripe was off-white, having a simi lar tone to that of the superciliary. The submalar region was marked by a poorly defined convergence of the greyish-brown chest streaks, which continued into the chin to form a dark chin strap. The throat was greyish-white, marked with fine, greyish streaks (Figure 4). The breast was marked by poor ly-defined, "blurry", greyish-brown stripes. These gradually became finer and more distinct in the lower breast region, but gradually faded out in the upper belly (Figure 2). The breast, belly and crissum were otherwise pale yellow, most intense ly in the belly. The exact tone var ied according to lighting conditions. The plumage of the mantle and lower back was composed of brownish feathers edged pale grey. Because this edging did not contin ue around the tips, the bird's back Figure 2: Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, had a "streaked", not scaled look 28 Sept. to 1Oct. 1986, Presqu'ile (Figore 3). At rest, the bird Provincial Park, Northumberland. appeared to have reddish "shoul Photo (28 Sept.) by Tony Beck. ders", due to reddish emarginations to the otherwise greyish-brown less comm.), but this was not apparent er coverts. The outermost median during my study. Above the eye coverts were also edged reddish, there was a broad greyish-white with the remaining median coverts superciliary, faintly marked with having pale off-white emargina fine grey streaks, that ended behind tions. The greater primary coverts, the auricular area and did not con secondaries and tertials were grey tinue through the nape (Figure 3). ish-brown with broad, pale yellow The dark eye was set in a dark ish-white edgings. These edgings blackish "mask" that extended were particularly broad in the secon through the lores and covered the daries and tertials, accounting for auricular area (Figure 3), much like about one half of each feather the mask of a Gray Kingbird. This (Figure 1). As in the back feathers, mask was a solid dusky-black, not the pale edgings did not extend marked with a whitish area as around the tips. Accordingly, they depicted in the National Geographic formed yellowish-white streaks in Society Guide (1983). The malar the wings. The primaries and ter- VOLUME 5 NUMBER 3 90 tials were dark greyish-brown, with no hint of rufous. They had slightly paler emarginations, but this was almost unnoticeable. The wing lin ings were not seen well but appeared to be a pale off-white. Perhaps the most striking feature of the bird was the flashy, rufous rump and tail. The upper tail covert feathers were bright rufous, marked Figure 4: 'Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, with very fine, almost indiscernible 28 Sept.-l Oct. 1986, Presqu'ile shaft streaks. These streaks grew Provincial Park, Northumberland. broader further up the rump. The Photo (28 Sept. ) by Tony Beck. upper surface of each tail feather was bright rufous, but marked with most ones. The undersurface of the a dark, chocolate-brown streak. tail was the same bright rufous as These streaks were fairly broad in the top, but was unmarked. The tail the innermost tail feathers (account was only slightly notched (Figure ing for about one-third of the feather 2). Overall, the tail appeared broad surface) but rapidly diminished with er but shorter than that of an Eastern each successive feather, with only a Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus). fine streak discernible in the outer- None of the wing or tail feathers appeared to be at all abraded. Overall, the bird had the neat, tidy look of a freshly moulted immature. Similar Species As we watched the bird we were very much aware of the potential difficulty in reaching a final identification. Although there are no North American species remote ly similar to the Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, there are several neotropicallookalikes. According 1y' we took extensive notes and attempted to obtain as many pho tographs as possible. In subsequent weeks we reviewed the literature, consulted the skin collection at the National Museum of Canada Figure 3: Sulphur-bellied (NMC), and communicated with Flycatcher, 28 Sept.-l Oct. 1986, authorities, notably Dr. J. Van Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Remsen of Louisiana State Northumberland. Photo (29 Sept.) University (Baton Rouge). by Alan Wormington. ONTARIO BIRDS DECEMBER 1987 91 Two of the lookalikes, the Piratic breast and mostly black bill of the Flycatcher (Legatus leucophaius) Sulphur-bellied. Furthermore, the and Variegated Flycatcher Streaked Flycatcher has more exten (Empidonomus varius), can be read sive rufous in the wings than is the ily discarded as possibilities based case for the Sulphur-bellied on their small size (phoebe-sized), Flycatcher (1. V. Remsen, pers. more petite bill, and predominantly comm.). However, these features dark tail and rump. A good discus are variable and subject to interpre sion on the separation of Variegated tation. The only fully reliable "field from Sulphur-bellied is presented in mark" for separating the two is the Abbott and Finch (1978) and need presence ofa dark bar through the not be reproduced here. Most of the chin in Sulphur-bellied (Ridgway remaining members of the genus 1907; Remsen, pers. comm.). This Myiodynastes are quite dissimilar. distinction was particularly obvious Golden-crowned (M. chry in the specimens examined by the socephalus), Golden-bellied (M. author in the NMC collection. hemichrysus) and Baird's Photographs of the Presqu'ile bird Flycatchers (M. bairdz) are black clearly show this mark (Figure 4), crowned, green-backed, and lack confirming its identification as a pronounced streaking on the chest. Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. The only remaining similar species is the Streaked Flycatcher Discussion (M. maculatus). Streaked In summary, the Presqu'ile bird Flycatcher is widely distributed in appears to be almost identical to the the Neotropics, and includes several Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers con distinctively marked subspecies.

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