Bird field guide · Tyrant Flycatchers

Photographing the Willow Flycatcher

How to photograph the Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii): the right lens for its size, shutter speeds for perched and moving animals, and when it's most often seen (May and June).

12–25 cm1/2500–1/3200 s
Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)
Photo: © Owen Strickland, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Owen Strickland via iNaturalist
12–25 cm
Typical length (family range)
1/800 s
Shutter: perched / still
1/2500–1/3200 s
Shutter: action / flight
f/5.6–f/7.1
Aperture
7,064
Research-grade sightings in N. America
ModeManual + Auto ISOLock shutter & aperture, let ISO float
Shutter (still)1/800 s
Shutter (action)1/2500–1/3200 s
Aperturef/5.6–f/7.1
FocusAF-C + subject/eye detectionBird-eye AF with continuous focus (AF-C/AI Servo); fill at least a third of the frame.
DriveHigh-speed burst
Lens400–600 mmFull-frame equivalent

Focal length needed to frame it#

For a subject about 18 cm long filling a third or half of the frame width horizontally. Small birds demand long lenses and a close approach — a blind or feeder setup helps.

Distance⅓ of frame (FF)½ of frame (FF)⅓ of frame (APS-C)⅓ of frame (MFT)
5 m (16 ft)302 mm443 mm201 mm151 mm
10 m (33 ft)603 mm887 mm402 mm302 mm
15 m (49 ft)905 mm1,330 mm603 mm453 mm
20 m (66 ft)1,207 mm1,773 mm805 mm603 mm
30 m (98 ft)1,810 mm2,660 mm1,207 mm905 mm
50 m (164 ft)3,017 mm4,433 mm2,011 mm1,509 mm

When to find it#

Jan: 0% Jan Feb: 0% Feb Mar: 0% Mar Apr: 1% Apr May: 24% May Jun: 29% Jun Jul: 17% Jul Aug: 16% Aug Sep: 11% Sep Oct: 1% Oct Nov: 0% Nov Dec: 0% Dec
Share of iNaturalist observations by month across North America. Peak months: May and June.

About the Willow Flycatcher#

The willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) is a small insect-eating, neotropical migrant bird of the tyrant flycatcher family. There are four subspecies of the willow flycatcher currently recognized, all of which breed in North America (including three subspecies that breed in California). Empidonax flycatchers are almost impossible to tell apart in the field so biologists use their songs to distinguish between them.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia via iNaturalist (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Field-craft tips#

  • They return to the same hunting perch — pre-focus and wait.
  • Bird-eye AF with continuous focus (AF-C/AI Servo); fill at least a third of the frame.
  • Sightings peak in May and June, which is when you'll have the most chances.

Ethics#

  • The welfare of the animal comes first: if it changes its behaviour because of you, you are too close.
  • Stay on trails, respect closures around nests, leks, dens and haul-outs.
  • Avoid playback and baiting in sensitive seasons; never bait predators.
  • Don't share precise locations of rare, nesting or roosting animals publicly.

More Tyrant Flycatchers#

Eastern Phoebe Eastern PhoebeSayornis phoebe Black Phoebe Black PhoebeSayornis nigricans Vermilion Flycatcher Vermilion FlycatcherPyrocephalus rubinus Eastern Kingbird Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus Say's PhoebeSayornis saya Great Kiskadee Great KiskadeePitangus sulphuratus Western Kingbird Western KingbirdTyrannus verticalis Cassin's KingbirdTyrannus vociferans

Frequently asked questions#

What lens do I need to photograph a Willow Flycatcher?

At about 18 cm long, a willow flycatcher fills a third of a full-frame image at 10 m with roughly 603 mm, or at 20 m with 1,207 mm.

What shutter speed should I use for a Willow Flycatcher?

1/800 s when it's still; 1/2500–1/3200 s for action.

When is the best time to photograph a Willow Flycatcher?

Observations in North America peak in May and June. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light and activity.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources