Finding Buff-breasted Flycatcher in SE Arizona

Buff-breasted Flycatcher Status in SE Arizona

Scarce summer visitor. Recent increase.

Best Time of Year to Find Buff-breasted Flycatcher

Apr-Sep.

Buff-breasted Flycatcher Status in USA

Found exclusively in SE Arizona as a breeding species, with a handful of vagrant sightings in a few other states.

Buff-breasted Flycatcher Habitat

Scarce but sometimes fairly easy to locate in higher elevation pine forests. Usually nests colonially in very specific areas.

Buff-breasted Flycatcher Range

Restricted to the higher elevations of the Huachuca, Santa Rita, Santa Catalina, and Chiricahua Mountains.

Buff-breasted Flycatcher Range map from eBird

Specific Sites for Buff-breasted Flycatcher

Most reliably found at sites such as Sawmill, Huachuca, and Carr Canyons in the Huachuca Mountains, Rose Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains, Josephine Saddle and Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains, and Cave Creek in the Chiricahua Mountains.

Tips for Finding Buff-breasted Flycatcher

Look up and down. They spend a lot of time up in the pines, but their foraging technique often involves flycatching from very low perches, sometimes just a few inches off the ground. Listen for their tiny, but distinctive ‘pit‘ calls.

Buff-breasted Flycatcher Vocalizations

Coming soon…

Buff-breasted Flycatcher Photos

Page updated: July 2023. All photos copyright © Richard P Fray, unless stated