6/25/2010

Great Crested Flycatcher near the Rookery

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This is a lifer for me! When we were in Concord last weekend we spotted a big yellow bird in the trees above. At first we only saw the belly, and I had no clue what it was.

great crested flycatcher
When it moved to a different branch, we got a good look at it, but I was still was baffled. It looked like a flycatcher, but much larger (and much yellower)than I expected a flycatcher to be. An expert would have known immediately, but I have never been one to look high in the treetops. My eyesight isn't that good!  In my defense, however, I offer a description from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology "All About Birds" website, which says the bird is a "treetop hunter of deciduous forests and suburban areas, the Great Crested Flycatcher is easier to hear than to see."

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Great crested flycatchers build large nests in natural cavities or excavations made by other species.  They build a bulky nest, and therefore prefer deep cavities. Before constructing a nest, they will generally fill a deep cavity with trash to a level of 12 to 18 inches from the top. They are known for their habit of including a snake skin in the nest or dangling from the cavity, and if no snakeskin is available they will substitute a piece of plastic. No one knows for sure why they do this, but most likely it is to deter real snakes and other predators.   Pretty smart, huh?

2 comments:

  1. You got ahead of me, Susan. Just this morning I shot some photos of a Great Crested Flycatcher on my walk up Mt Wantastiquet. Your pics are better than mine though. Nice!

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  2. It's great to get a lifer, and documentation too! The crest is really up. They are gorgeous birds, if you can manage to see them. Good job.

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