Subject: Alder vs Willow
Date: Jun 20 20:17:30 2002
From: Bob Flores - rflores at qosi.net


I had remembered someone out there mentioning a article in Birding Mag. so I looked it up. It is in the Vol. XXIX Number 6 Dec. 1997 under the point/counterpoint section titled "Willow Flycatcher Call-note Variation, a pitfall for identifiying Alser Flycatchers".

It is very interesting, Matt T. Heindel the author makes some interesting observations. He like many of us wondered where the fee-be-o description came from. Here is what he says in the article.

"The songs given by these two species are well-known to most birders: fitz-bew for Willow Flycatcher, fee-bee-o for Alder Flycatcher. I am not a great fan of the latter designation. Most songs I hear are two noted (ree-bee or fee-bee), and they are rolling and strident (almost recalling a vireo or tanager), unlike the Willow song. There are times I hear three-note songs, so I understand where this designation comes from. But I think it brings as much confusion as it does clarity. There is also some variation within the songs of Willow Flycatcher, as some birds give a three-note song, adding a wick or rip (slightly but distinctly sharper than their call; see below) into the song, usually at the end. This extra syllable definitely can cause birders some problems, because it produces a three-part song, which according to most references, indicates Alder"

I find his observation on two-part vs three-part interesting as I have read this alot from folks on this issue. Ya got to love it! and lets keep the ball rolling this has been very interesting.

oh if you are interested in what he thinks is diagnostic it is the "soft whit" for Willow and the "hard bik" for Alder. He excludes the call "hard peep" from being diagnostic for Alder! Having heard it many willows call peep then the typical song. He did state the peep from Willow is softer than those he had heard for Alder.

Bob Flores
Othello, WA
rflores at qosi,net

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