NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
American Grey Flycatcher
Empidonax wrightii S. F. Baird, 1858
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The American gray flycatcher, American grey flycatcher, or just gray flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii) as it is known in North America, is a small, insectivorous passerine in the tyrant flycatcher family. It is common in the arid regions of western North America, especially the Great Basin. From sagebrush steppes to pinyon-juniper woodlands and ponderosa pine forests, this flycatcher forages for insects from shrubs or low tree branches.
The American gray flycatcher is one of the many species in the genus Empidonax. These species are very similar in appearance and behavior, and they are notoriously difficult to differentiate. The best characteristics for distinguishing these species are voice, breeding habitat, and range. The American gray flycatcher, however, can be identified by a unique behavior, its downward tail wag. Other Empidonax species typically exhibit a rapid upward tail flick.
Wikipedia contributors, American gray flycatcher; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:48:23.974142+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Empidonax wrightii S. F. Baird, 1858
- Name authority
- S. F. Baird, 1858
- Common name
- American Grey Flycatcher
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Empidonax
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderPasseriformes
- familyTyrannidae
- genusEmpidonax Cabanis, 1855
- speciesEmpidonax wrightii S. F. Baird, 1858
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Empidonax. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| White-throated FlycatcherEmpidonax albigularis P. L. Sclater & Salvin, 1859 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum Brewster, 1895 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Western FlycatcherEmpidonax difficilis S. F. Baird, 1858 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Yellowish FlycatcherEmpidonax flavescens Lawrence, 1865 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hammond's FlycatcherEmpidonax hammondii (Xántus de Vesey, 1858) | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii (Audubon, 1828) | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Black-capped FlycatcherEmpidonax atriceps Salvin, 1870 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventris (W. M. Baird & S. F. Baird, 1843) | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Pine FlycatcherEmpidonax affinis (Swainson, 1827) | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus (W. M. Baird & S. F. Baird, 1843) | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| American Dusky FlycatcherEmpidonax oberholseri A. R. Phillips, 1939 | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Acadian FlycatcherEmpidonax virescens (Vieillot, 1818) | TyrannidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=178347 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:39HWQ. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.