Today's featured feathered friend is the Vermilion Flycatcher, the most striking member of the flycatcher family. In the United States, this "rare" Florida visitor can be found in the southwest, from Texas to Southern California. They can also be found throughout Mexico and Central America, and many parts of South America. A male has been wintering at the Orlando Wetlands Park for the past several winters. We had a tip that he was seen there, so we ventured out on a 500-mile overnight trip to find him.
The male Vermilion Flycatcher has a brilliant red or red-orange head and underparts, with a dark brown back, wings and tail. A dark eye line connects his short black bill to his nape. The female is brownish-gray above, whitish with fine brown streaking below, and her belly, flanks and undertail coverts have a pinkish-red wash.
We were blessed to come across three other birders who were getting good looks at him through their scopes, otherwise we may have missed him. He was perched in a stand of small Cypress trees in an impoundment pond. Like most flycatchers he would leave his perch, catch an insect in mid-air and return to the same perch. The Vermilion Flycatcher becomes our 219th life bird (215th Florida bird). These are our best photos, at a distance of over 100 yards. Happy birding.....tweet.....tweet!!
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| Vermilion Flycatcher (Male) (Taken 2/6/14, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas FL) |
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| Vermilion Flycatcher (Male) (Taken 2/6/14, Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas FL) |
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/vermilion_flycatcher/id
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermilion_Flycatcher
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