Photo: Mykola Swarnyk / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Great Crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 32.1 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Tyrannidae Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura
- Genus Myiarchus
- Species crinitus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 32.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Great Crested Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Great Crested Flycatcher is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA sc, se Canada to sc, se USA.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 32.1 g, with a wing length of about 9.9 cm and a tail of around 8.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 5.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Great Crested Flycatcher?
The Great Crested Flycatcher is a small bird that weighs around 32.1 g.
Where does the Great Crested Flycatcher live?
The Great Crested Flycatcher is found across North America with a range covering NA sc, se Canada to sc, se USA, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Great Crested Flycatcher belong to?
The Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Great Crested Flycatcher eat?
The Great Crested Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Great Crested Flycatcher migrate?
The Great Crested Flycatcher is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Great Crested Flycatcher endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Great Crested Flycatcher make?
1 real field recording of the Great Crested Flycatcher — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Great Crested Flycatcher's range?
The Great Crested Flycatcher has a mapped global range of about 5.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Tyrannidae
A field guide to the Tyrannidae family — 444 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.