ALDER FLYCATCHER, COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK,ETOBICOKE,TORONTO,ONTARIO, 5/31/2020

   We can ID this bird as an Alder Flycatcher as follows:

• Because of the glare and shadow on the bird's throat we really can't determine its color, but we can see it is light in contrast to the grayish chest band and darker face and crown.
• Whitish eyering and supraloral.
• Dark upper mandible of the bill and yellowish lower mandible.
• The little you can see of the wings are black
• Yellow wash on belly.  In looking at images of Alder Flycatchers on the internet some have white bellies and some have a yellowish wash on their belly.
• Broad, dark, straight-sided tail with white edges and slightly notched at its end.
• All of the above attributes of this Flycatcher can be attributed to either the Alder Flycatcher or the extremely similar Willow Flycatcher.  It was determined that this was an Alder Flycatcher by its call.  Our birding companion, Peter Sproule, heard its  call and was able to determine it was that of an Alder Flycatcher.

   The Alder and Willow Flycatchers at one time were considered subspecies of the same species.  They were formally split into two species in 1973.  Even though they look nearly identical, they do not respond when they hear each other's songs.     

   The Alder Flycatcher is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 984.