​Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Yellow-bellied Flycatchers are probably the easiest Empidonax flycatchers to identify (which isn't saying much). Their broad, yellow-orange lower mandible separates them from all but Acadian and "Western" Flycatchers. They most resemble "Western"-type Flycatchers, being very greenish above and yellowish below, but the eyering on Yellow-bellied is much less extensive than in Cordilleran or Pacific-Slope. The underparts of Yellow-bellieds are distinctive as well, with a smudgy greyish-green wash over the chin, throat and upper breast, and yellow on the belly. There is also a small spot of clear yellow showing through in the the middle of the throat. The head in profile sometimes shows a collapsed crest, as if the crown feathers are too long to stand upright. Worn birds of course pose problems.

​Pacific-slope Flycatcher *

The Pacific-slope Flycatcher, the West Coast representative of the "Western" Flycatcher superspecies, is a rarity in Louisiana. Standard field marks for "Western", such as teardrop-shaped eyering, yellow-orange lower mandible and greenish upperparts coupled with yellowish underparts still apply, but separating Pacific-slope Flycatcher from Cordilleran Flycatcher creates a new challenge. In terms of separating these two species from their closest lookalikes, Acadian and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, look for the distinctive eyering. 

​Vermilion Flycatcher

Why the Vermilion Flycatcher turns up in fair numbers in Louisiana every winter, well to the east and north of its breeding range, is a mystery. However, at least a few dozen seem to be found every year in scattered locations around the state. Usually, the birds arrive in October and are found near bodies of water surrounded by trees that offer perches for flycatching. Brightly colored adult males attract the most attention, but many of the less brilliant females and young males (such as the one pictured here) also winter here.

​Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

The incredible Scissor-tailed Flycatcher can be found in Louisiana in all seasons: in summer as an uncommon breeder in scattered locations in the western half of the state, as a fairly common spring and fall migrant, and even as a rare but regular winter resident.

​Clark's Nutcracker *

A new bird was added to the state list when Mac Myers, Curt Sorrells, and Phillip Wallace went out on February 9, 1997, to search the pines for crossbills and found a Clark's Nutcracker instead. There were apparently a number of eastwardly extralimital records in the winter of 1997, including at least 5 records from Texas, and one report from as far east as Iowa.

​Gray-cheeked Thrush

Gray-cheeked Thrushes migrate through the state in spring and fall, but are much more common in the fall. Gray-cheeked is a heavily spotted thrush, with the spotting especially dense and dark from the chin to the juncture of the throat and breast, and then becoming dense but very diffuse down to the level of mid-breast. Gray-cheeked Thrush is a species that can be confusing for a number of reasons, starting with the fact that it most often frequents shaded areas where poor lighting can make field marks hard to discern. Gray-cheekeds resemble a few other thrushes as well, although in most cases ID is straightforward given a good look.

In Louisiana, this species migrates alongside Swainson's Thrush and Veery. Gray-cheeked lacks the buffiness that permeates the sides of the face of Swainson's and shows through in the area of the eye-rings and lores. As a matter of fact, Gray-cheeked barely shows an eye-ring (if it all), and the eye-ring when present looks dull grayish. Veery is usually tawnier above, but the much fainter pattern of spotting on the underparts of Veery is the biggest difference between the two species. One caveat: A mystery thrush that turned up in Cameron Parish in late October 1995 was tawny above, as in Veery, lacked the buffy face of Swainson's, was fairly heavily spotted below as in Gray-cheeked. Reaction was mixed among birders present. Many felt it must be a Bicknell's Thrush, or a rusty example of a Gray-cheeked. Closer examination of the bird showed that it had the distinctly pale-centered dorsal feathers of a juvenile bird, and the conclusion was finally reached that it was a juvenile Veery.

One ID problem that few in Louisiana consider is separating Hermit from Gray-cheeked Thrush. Hermit, a common winterer in the state, usually arrives late in fall and leaves early in the spring, with little overlap between it and the other migrant thrushes. Still, a few Hermits do linger late in spring and can be seen in the woods with Gray-cheekeds. Both are heavily spotted below, but seen head-on, Gray-cheekeds are generally more heavily marked on the throat than Hermit, which usually is a fairly unmarked white between its distinct malar streaks. The rustier tail vs. mantle of the Hermit is of course a diagnostic field mark on birds seen from behind, but I have seen a few Hermits whose tails didn't contrast a great deal with their backs.