Birds
Vermilion Flycatcher
Pyrocephalus rubinus · also called vermilion flycatchers
A flash of brilliant scarlet catches the eye along a desert stream, and a male vermilion flycatcher bursts upward into a fluttering display flight, singing all the while, before settling back onto his favourite low perch.
Overview
The vermilion flycatcher, Pyrocephalus rubinus, is a strikingly colourful insect-hunting bird native to desert riparian and wetland edge habitat across the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. Its vivid scarlet male plumage, dramatic fluttering courtship flight, and reliance on scarce desert water sources make it one of the most visually memorable flycatchers in North America.
Color built to be seen from a distance
Against the muted browns and grays of desert scrub, a male vermilion flycatcher’s brilliant red plumage stands out immediately, a colour bold enough to be spotted from a considerable distance across open terrain.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable desert riparian habitat throughout its range.
Vermilion Flycatcher: common questions
Why is the male vermilion flycatcher so much more colourful than the female?
The male's vivid scarlet-red body and contrasting black mask likely function as a signal to attract mates and assert territory, while the female's much plainer grayish-brown colouring with a soft peachy wash offers better camouflage while she incubates eggs on the nest.
What does the vermilion flycatcher's courtship display look like?
A male performs a distinctive fluttering flight high into the air while singing, before descending back down toward a perch, a display that showcases both his song and his striking scarlet colouration to a watching female.
Why does the vermilion flycatcher prefer areas near water in the desert?
This species favours streams, ponds, and other water sources within otherwise arid desert habitat because insect activity concentrates around these wetter areas, providing a more reliable food supply than the surrounding dry terrain.
How does the vermilion flycatcher catch its food?
It typically watches from a low, exposed perch and darts out to catch flying insects directly from the air, a hunting technique called hawking shared with many other flycatcher species, before returning to the same perch to wait for the next opportunity.