 Breeding evidence |
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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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-1.28 (-1.81 - -0.772)|
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
Willow Flycatcher observations were scattered across 53 squares in the southern third of the province with the majority of detections occurring south of Regina. Indistinguishable from the more common Alder Flycatcher, except by voice, it is unsurprising that there are no confirmed breeding records for Willow Flycatcher, and only three squares where probable breeding was reported. Since Willow and Alder overlap to some extent, there were likely many birds that went unidentified.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
The status and distribution of the Willow Flycatcher in Saskatchewan is somewhat enigmatic. Willow and Alder Flycatchers "cannot be identified reliably by sight alone, and even in-hand identification is not always certain? (Lowther 1999). The species were considered one until they were split in 1973. It breeds from Maine to British Columbia and as far south as Arizona and southern California and winters from southern Mexico to northern South America (Sedgwick 2000).
This flycatcher prefers low shrubby riparian growth along creeks and drainages and is generally restricted to river corridors in arid parts of the west (Sedgwick 2000).
In Saskatchewan, it is an uncommon summer resident of riparian shrubbery in the tributaries of the Missouri drainage, the Souris and Qu'Appelle Rivers (Smith 1996), in rugged portions of the Missouri Coteau (RDW), and at Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park (JFR). At Nicolle Flats, where the Willow and Alder Flycatcher co-exist, the Willow Flycatcher is found in low shrubbery along the marsh, while the Alder Flycatcher is found in tall shrubs along the Qu'Appelle River (Smith 1996).
Original text by Robert D. Wapple and Lorrie Sielski. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Willow Flycatcher in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Willow 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=WIFL&lang=en [09 Nov 2025]
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