English and Scientific names:	Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii)
Number of individuals:	1 (presumably HY/SY by molt limits)
Locality: LOUISIANA:	Bossier Parish
Specific Locality:	cattle lot at jct. of Deen Point and Wyche Rd., ca. 4 mi. SE of Benton
Date(s) when observed:	26 January 2008
Time(s) of day when observed:	~7:50 – 9:15 AM CST
Reporting observer and address:	Devin Bosler Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):	Justin Bosler, Terry Davis, Larry Raymond, Clyde Massey
Other observers accompanying reporter who independently identified the bird(s):	m. ob.
Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):	Overcast w/ intermittent fog/mist early and partial clearing (mostly cloudy) toward mid-morning. Relatively poor lighting, however bright enough to make a definitive assessment of the bird.
Optical equipment:	Zeiss Victory FL 8x42, Nikon Fieldscope ED 20-45x optical zoom, Canon ZR830 digital video camcorder w/ 35x optical zoom (all equipment in fair-excellent condition)
Distance to bird(s):	ca. 5-10 meters
Duration of observation:	~1.5 hrs
Habitat:	A rural cattle lot/pasture w/ thin edges of primarily honey locust, green ash, sweet pecan, mulberry, white oak, winged sumac, greenbrier, and poison ivy. The GRFL favored a tree line along the eastern side of the small cattle lot w/ a dense greenbrier tangle.
Behavior of bird:	The flycatcher was actively foraging and vocalizing from the edges of the cattle lot, sallying down to the ground from a low perch. It appeared to be foraging on field crickets and grubs. It occasionally returned to a higher perch to devour its catch, and only once crossed Deen Point Rd. to forage. The flycatcher exaggeratedly dipped its tail in a downward motion (phoebe-like) while at rest or before dropping down on prey.
Description:	A medium-sized Empidonax flycatcher w/ short primary tip projection and a relatively long tail. Grayish-olive upperparts w/ a tinge of brown and pale grayish underparts w/ faint yellowish wash on belly and vent. Throat paler gray-white than rest of underparts. Head round w/ no apparent crest and appeared proportionally small. Two noticeably pale buffy wing bars and conspicuous white edges on outer rectrix set. An indistinct, whitish eye ring and a fairly evident whitish supraloral area extending over the upper mandible. A longish, narrow bill w/ strong bicolored appearance. Upper mandible entirely dark and lower mandible largely pale yellow w/ marked dark tip. Tail was slowly and continuously dipped downward similar to a phoebe. Call note was a strong, liquid ‘wit’ delivered repeatedly throughout the observation. A drawn-out, liquid gurgle call was also heard a few times.
Voice:	A loud ‘wit’ call note delivered repeated while foraging.
Similar species:	All Empidonax flycatchers eliminated by behavior (tail action) and seasonal occurrences. Gray Flycatcher (GRFL) can be reliably separated from all other empids by its diagnostic dipping of the tail in a slow, forced downward motion. Least Flycatcher (LEFL) eliminated by relatively long bill and longish tail. LEFL also eliminated by behavior w/ tail flicked up rather than pumped down and voice, a softer call note than GRFL. Dusky Flycatcher (DUFL) is very similar in plumage but was eliminated by longer bill w/ more extensive yellow on lower mandible and by slow tail dipping.
Photographs or tape recordings obtained?	Video images by Devin Bosler, digiscoped photos by Justin Bosler. Yes, attached.
Previous experience with this species:	Familiar with GRFL from ID, NM, and TX. During the summer of 2007, I observed GRFLs frequently while working with Gray Vireos and conducting breeding bird surveys at various sites in n. NM.
Identification aids:	National Geographic Complete Birds of N.A. (Alderfer et al. 2005) and Sibley's Guide to Birds (Sibley 2003).
This description is written from:
Are you positive of your identification? If not, explain:	Yes, very confident.
Reporter:	Devin Bosler
Date and time:	14 February 2008 1:00 PM CST