Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus), Old Beeline Highway, Maricopa County

This Great Crested Flycatcher was photographed by Benjamin Guo on 03 September 2022

This Great Crested Flycatcher was found by Tommy DeBardeleben along the Old Beeline Highway (north of Sunflower) by the Sunflower Workstation on 2 September 2022 and it was photographed by Benjamin Guo on 3 September 2022. It remained in the area on 4 September 2022 in early morning, but it wasn't seen or heard after that. Tommy heard and sound recorded the bird on 2 September, and he caught a few glimpes of the bird to know it was a Myiarchus flycatcher. On 3 September, Benjamin Guo, Dara Vazquez,and Ronnie Reed relocated the bird, and Ben was able to get these photos as well as get further audio. 4 September was the last time the Great Crested Flycatcher was detected as it was heard and briefly seen by multiple observers. It called early in the morning and during it's 3 day continuation it was never heard calling after 7:30 A.M. When it did call, it called infrequently. It was also very shy and didn't give observers very good looks other than these photographs that Ben obtained.

4 previous state records, with the last one being in 2010 at the Cameron Trading Post in Coconino County from 18-20 September. Other records of this species in Arizona include one in Huachuca Mountains on June 3rd, 1901, and one on the Navajo Indian Reservation on October 9th, 1980 (From the Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Arizona by Gale Monson and Allan Phillips. This may be the first record for Maricopa County.

Visually: Bill intermediate between Ash-throated and western form of Brown-crested Flycatcher with extensive brown base to lower mandible. Bright yellow underparts extending far up the breast. Dark gray upper breast and cheek. Little contrast between cheek and crown. Extensively rufous undertail feathers with dark color confined to part of feather on outside of the feather shaft. Both Ash-throated and Brown-crested would be paler, with yellow confined to the lower breast. Both would have completely dark bills. Brown-crested would have a pale face contrasting with a darker crown. Ash throated would have dark tips to the rusty tail feathers and Brown-crested would have less rufous with more dark on the inside of the feather shaft (Identification features taken from the 2010 bird at Cameron) Vocally: Great Crested Flycatcher gives a rather distinctive, rising and upslurred "wheeep" call that is most similar to Nutting's Flycatcher, but it has more of a longer, slower and even rise in it's call than Nutting's does. Recordings made match Great Crested Flycather. Tommy's recording can be found at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S117965889 Benjamin Guo's recording and more photographs can be found at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S118031234 Kadynn Hatfield and Nolan Walker's audio here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S118095489

03 September 2022, photo by Benjamin Guo