Patrick, Ruth, and Tweeters,

I have had extensive field experience with Alder, Willow, and other
Empidonax flycatchers throughout North America. I can hear NO
geographic variation in the songs of either Alder or Willow
Flycatchers. Alder Flycatchers that I have heard in B.C. and the Yukon
(and the one bird I heard in Washington) sound exactly the same to me
as those in New Brunswick or northern Manitoba. Similarly, Willow
Flycatchers I have heard in B.C., Alberta, and Washington sound
exactly the same as those in California, southern Ontario, and one
that I heard in Mississippi. The patterns are constant within each
species and dramatically different between the two species-- as
different as between any other 2 Empidonax species.

Alder Flycatchers, as originally described by Peterson, have a
distinctly 3- noted song, although the third note is lower-pitched and
not as loud as the other 2 notes. Forget birds in the field for now--
listen to Alder Flycatchers on the several good tapes and CDs which
have flycatcher songs. If anyone hears this as a 2-noted song, I would
seriously question his/her ability to accurately describe songs.

The problem, as I see it, is not one of geographic (or individual)
variation in songs in either Alder or Willow Flycatchers, but of
variation in how human observers perceive and transcribe them. This is
why I (and most other observers) are reluctant to accept any
out-of-range records of Willow or Alder Flycatchers without a tape
recording of the song. I believe we now have tapes, thanks to
Patrick's efforts, of both the Crab Creek and Muskrat Lake birds.
These need to be submitted to the Washington Bird Records committee,
and sound spectrographs (sonagrams) should be made, so that they can
be compared with sonagrams of both known Willow and Alder Flycatchers.

I am nearly convinced that the bird described by Patrick from near
Muskrat Lake was an Alder Flycatcher. My remaining, nagging doubt is
that it is described as a 2-noted, not a 3-noted, song. If I had a
chance to hear the recording, or to see a sonagram made from the
recording, I would probably be convinced. A tape recording allows a
far more objective description of a bird song than will ever be
possible from a verbal description.

Wayne C. Weber
Kamloops, BC
contopus at shaw.ca





----- Original Message -----
From: Ruth Sullivan <GODWIT at worldnet.att.net>
To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2002 12:32 PM
Subject: Alder/Willow Flycatcher variability


> Hello Tweets,
>
> Is it possible or even confirmed that Alder Flycatcher populations
from
> eastern North America and those in western populations vary that
much in
> call and song such as they most often described three syallabled
"fee-BEE-o"
> song compared to the near consistant "ree-BEER" song described in
many
> publications and often noted in western North America. One such
publication
> is described in "The Birds of British Columbia" Volume #3 by R.Waye
> Cambell,Neil K.Dawe,Ian McTaggart-Cowna,John M.Cooper,Gary
W.Kaiser,Michael
> C.E.McNall,and G.E.John Smith, which states on page 40 in
association with
> comments made by Kaufmann that the 3 syllabled "fee-bee-oh" song
actually
> does sound like a two syallabled "rrree-beep" song,with the third
syllable
> inaudible. The authors go on to mention that in British Columbia
this 2
> syllabled song is heard and may sound like "rrree-peet",so the
question is
> can Willow Flycatchers on occasion like perhaps the Okanogan Co.
bird sound
> like Alder Flycatchers consistantly with perhaps the main song being
not as
> drwan out and comparative to basic Alder Flycatchers, if not by
basic
> plumage characteristics but more importantly by thier distinctive
songs. May
> a sonogram(s) of possible Alder Flycatchers away from normally
breeding
> grounds/and in migration be always necessary in identifying Alder
> Flycatchers,especially in western North America. Can either species
be told
> by only calls or as indicated by many the only true way in
positively
> identifying "true" Alder Flycatchers in the field hearing or
tape-recording
> their basic song? Perhaps the variability between both species is so
great
> that they may never be able to be identified well enough for
confirmation in
> WA.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Ruth and Patrick Sullivan
> GODWIT at worldnet.att.net
>