 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
Click for a larger version or to add map overlays |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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-1.13 (-1.47 - -0.774)|
Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
Atlas results coming soon
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
The Least Flycatcher is the best known and most widely distributed Empidonax in Saskatchewan and one of our noisiest and most pugnacious songbirds. These birds frequently give chase to rivals, as well as other species, from their vigorously defended nesting territories. These flycatchers are often seen foraging from a perch among branches to capture flying insects with an audible click of the bill. The Least Flycatcher breeds across southern Canada east to Cape Breton, and winters from northern Mexico south into Central America.
In the boreal forest and Cypress Hills, the Least Flycatcher frequents mixed or deciduous woods, reaching a maximum density of 74 territories/100 ha in old-growth mixedwood forest at Michel Point, Doré Lake (Smith 2008b). It is also a characteristic species of the aspen parkland but does not appear unless poplar bluffs are 0.2 ha or larger (Johns 1993b). Its distribution is more local through the grasslands, where it is restricted to riparian woods and coulees. This bird has also adapted well to artificial habitats such as rural shelterbelts and urban parks and gardens.
The Least Flycatcher is a common transient and summer resident throughout the province, except in the subarctic woodland. In lightly wooded areas of the southwest it may appear only as a migrant.
Original text by Guy Wapple. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Least Flycatcher in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Least Flycatcher in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=LEFL&lang=en [14 Nov 2025]
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