Birds
Olive-Sided Flycatcher
Contopus cooperi · also called olive-sided flycatchers
From the bare, sun-bleached top of a dead spruce, an olive-sided flycatcher whistles its unmistakable “quick-three-beers” across a boreal bog, surveying the widest possible stretch of sky for its next meal.
Overview
The olive-sided flycatcher, Contopus cooperi, is a boreal and mountain forest bird known for its distinctive song and preference for the very highest available perch. Its memorable “quick-three-beers” call, exceptionally long migration to the South American Andes, and significant recent population decline make it one of the more conservation-relevant flycatchers in North America.
A bird that claims the highest seat available
While many forest birds stay within the cover of the canopy, the olive-sided flycatcher climbs to the very top of the tallest dead snag it can find, trading concealment for a commanding view.
Status
Near Threatened — declining significantly in recent decades due to boreal forest logging and habitat loss on its South American wintering grounds.
Olive-Sided Flycatcher: common questions
What does the olive-sided flycatcher's song sound like?
This species produces a clear, whistled song widely rendered as "quick-three-beers," a memorable and easily recognisable call often heard echoing across boreal and mountain forest well before the bird is spotted at the top of a distant dead tree.
Why does the olive-sided flycatcher perch so high?
It characteristically chooses the highest exposed perch available, often the bare top of a dead snag, allowing it to scan a wide area for passing flying insects and giving it a commanding vantage point over the surrounding forest.
Why has the olive-sided flycatcher declined so much?
This species has experienced one of the steeper population declines among North American flycatchers, a trend researchers link to logging of the boreal forest habitat it breeds in as well as habitat loss on its wintering grounds as far south as the Andes Mountains of South America.
How far does the olive-sided flycatcher migrate?
It undertakes one of the longest migrations of any North American flycatcher, travelling from boreal and mountain breeding grounds in Canada and the United States all the way to wintering areas in the Andes Mountains of South America.