Gray Flycatcher
Gray Flycatcher has surged: up 15× on the route-weighted index since 1970.
About the Gray Flycatcher
The Gray Flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii) is a North American member of the Tyrant Flycatchers (Tyrannidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the aerial insectivores.
- Size
- 4.5–9 in long (12–23 cm) — a small to medium flycatcher (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open airspace over fields, water and towns; nests in cavities, earthen banks or on structures.
- Diet
- Flying insects caught on the wing.
- Range
- Recorded on 337 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 11 states, most concentrated in the Great Basin.
- Family
- Tyrannidae · Aerial insectivores
Notable Gray Flycatcher Trends
No notable trend signals for Gray Flycatcher. See the full index history below.
Gray Flycatcher Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Gray Flycatcher is projected to rise about 15% by 2029 — from 0.27 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.31 (95% range 0.24–0.39). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±26%, with 80% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.29 | 0.22 | 0.37 |
| 2026 | 0.30 | 0.22 | 0.38 |
| 2027 | 0.30 | 0.23 | 0.38 |
| 2028 | 0.31 | 0.23 | 0.39 |
| 2029 | 0.31 | 0.24 | 0.39 |
Where the Gray Flycatcher Is Detected
BBS routes recording Gray Flycatcher, sized by most recent count.
Gray Flycatcher Population Trend by State
| Arizona | +48% | 1970 | 23 |
| California | 13× | 1973 | 41 |
| Colorado | +435% | 1975 | 36 |
| Idaho | +355% | 1988 | 15 |
| Nevada | 31× | 1971 | 32 |
| New Mexico | +275% | 1970 | 35 |
| Oregon | +342% | 1970 | 67 |
| Texas | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Utah | -27% | 1988 | 59 |
| Washington | +451% | 1991 | 15 |
| Wyoming | -61% | 1990 | 12 |
Gray Flycatcher Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Northern Pacific Rainforest | -77% | 1988 | 5 |
| Great Basin | +614% | 1970 | 133 |
| Northern Rockies | -33% | 1973 | 44 |
| Sierra Nevada | +568% | 1981 | 10 |
| Southern Rockies / Colorado Plateau | +144% | 1970 | 109 |
| Coastal California | +41% | 1977 | 4 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | +116% | 1978 | 18 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -60% | 1980 | 7 |
Gray Flycatcher Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 1447% since 1970. Aerial insectivores have fallen sharply across the continent, a decline widely linked to dwindling insect prey.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.