By Greg Ross
Geographic Range
Yellow-bellied flycatchers breed from southern Arctic Canada, across Canada from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic provinces and the north-easternmost states. In the spring
and fall, they migrate in the eastern half of the United States.
Their wintering grounds are in southern Central America.
Biogeographic Regions:
nearctic 
(native ); neotropical (native ).
Habitat
Yellow-bellied flycatchers can be found in forested areas and along foothills. They prefer moist environments such as bogs and
the edges of mixed wood and coniferous forests, particularly
near water bodies.
Terrestrial Biomes:
forest .
Physical Description
(0.42 oz)
As the name suggests, Yellow-bellied flycatchers have yellow
bellies and throats. They are bright green on their backs. They
have light-colored rings around their eyes and wing bars. Flycatchers of the genus Empidonax, including Empidonax flaviventris, are monomorphic, the sexes look alike. There are
rictal bristles around the beak, which is fairly wide and flat.
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .
Reproduction
Empidonax flaviventris nests on or near the ground. The female
builds and lines a cup-shaped nest with mosses and plant material. A clutch of 3 to 5 white eggs with brown spots is laid. On average, each egg meausures 13x17 mm. Both male and female tend the young. Breeding occurs between May and late August.
Key reproductive features:
iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous .
Behavior
All species of Empidonax behave similarly and are difficult to
distinguish based on this trait. The Yellow-bellied flycatcher
is quite secretive, and often difficult to observe because of
its tendency to hide in the shrubby layer near the forest floor.
It is also quite quiet during breeding season, not singing very
often. This makes it even more difficult to locate.
Key behaviors:
flies; motile .
Food Habits
The Yellow-bellied flycatcher is insectivorous, although it may
occasionally eat some berries. They pick insects off of foliage
or hawk, catching insects in the air and returning to a perch.
They tend to stay near the forest floor. Their rictal bristles
help to catch insects, and a hooked beak helps hold them.
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known negative effects on humans or on any animal
species which we consider beneficial.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
The Yellow-bellied flycatcher has little impact on humans, other
than feeding on insects which we consider to be an annoyance.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Least Concern.
US Migratory Bird Act: [link]:
Protected.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
No special status.
State of Michigan List: [link]:
No special status.
The Yellow-bellied flycatcher ranges from being common to uncommon on its breeding grounds, and is not often seen while migrating. This probably does not represent any threat of endangerment, but demonstrates that this is not a very visible species.
Contributors
Greg Ross (author), University of Alberta.
Cindy Paszkowski (editor), University of Alberta.
