70birds

That Nest in Birdhouses

70birds

That Nest in Birdhouses

70birds

That Nest in Birdhouses

Great-crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus crinitus
Long-haired Lord of the Flies

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Myiarchus
Species: crinitus

La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
Gr. turannos tyrant
La. tyrannus tyrant, despot, king

La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. muia a fly
Gr. arkhos lord, prince
La. crinitus long haired

Painting of a singing great-crested flycatcher perched on a twig.

Nine inches long. Upper parts olive. Olive brown crested head, yellow belly, ashy gray throat and breast, chestnut tail. Wing coverts crossed with two irregular bars of yellowish white.

USGS map shows the great-crested flycatcher ranges east of the Rocky Mountains in the US and Canada to the East Coast.

Great-crested Flycatchers inhabit woodlands and small towns in North America east of the Rocky Mountains from the Gulf States to New Brunswick and Quebec, west to Alberta. They winter in the Gulf States, eastern Mexico, Caribbean islands, Central America and northern South America.

They fly from high perches and pursue with great agility flying moths, butterflies, wasps, flies and other flying insects, some beneficial but mostly pestilent.

Sometimes they take beetles, ants, caterpillars and crickets and other crawling insects from foliage. They also eat wild fruits and berries.

Great-crested flycatchers are domineering neighbors. They promptly dash after any other bird intruders to drive them away and even drive them out of their own nests to make their own.

They build bulky nests of twigs, grass, rootlets, moss, feathers and snake skins in natural or abandoned tree cavities. They like birdhouses and are often found nesting in boxes intended for bluebirds or purple martins.

Painting of a great-crested flycatcher perched on a branch with tree tops in the background.

Females lay three to six light brown speckled eggs, which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks.

The Great-crested Flycatcher Birdhouse has a 6″ by 6″ floor, 9″ inside floor to ceiling, 1 3/4″ diameter entrance hole located 7″ above the floor and ventilation openings.

Attach the roof with hinges and lock in a closed position with shutter hooks. Some prefer a fixed roof with a Side Opening Door.

Use rough cut wood stock on both sides. Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes to reduce splitting wood.

Mount this nest box on a tree or post in a secluded area in the woods, forest or field edge, or near a stream between four and ten feet high with partial sun and shade.

Remove the nest and clean the box after the brood rearing seasons are over. Swallows, chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers may also use this box.

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Great-crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus crinitus
Long-haired Lord of the Flies

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Myiarchus
Species: crinitus

La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
Gr. turannos tyrant
La. tyrannus tyrant, despot, king

La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. muia a fly
Gr. arkhos lord, prince
La. crinitus long haired

Painting of a singing great-crested flycatcher perched on a twig.

Nine inches long. Upper parts olive. Olive brown crested head, yellow belly, ashy gray throat and breast, chestnut tail. Wing coverts crossed with two irregular bars of yellowish white.

USGS map shows the great-crested flycatcher ranges east of the Rocky Mountains in the US and Canada to the East Coast.

Great-crested Flycatchers inhabit woodlands and small towns in North America east of the Rocky Mountains from the Gulf States to New Brunswick and Quebec, west to Alberta. They winter in the Gulf States, eastern Mexico, Caribbean islands, Central America and northern South America.

They fly from high perches and pursue with great agility flying moths, butterflies, wasps, flies and other flying insects, some beneficial but mostly pestilent. Sometimes they take beetles, ants, caterpillars and crickets and other crawling insects from foliage. They also eat wild fruits and berries.

Great-crested flycatchers are domineering neighbors. They promptly dash after any other bird intruders to drive them away and even drive them out of their own nests to make their own.

They build bulky nests of twigs, grass, rootlets, moss, feathers and snake skins in natural or abandoned tree cavities. They like birdhouses and are often found nesting in boxes intended for bluebirds or purple martins.

Painting of a great-crested flycatcher perched on a branch with tree tops in the background.

Females lay three to six light brown speckled eggs, which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks.

The Great-crested Flycatcher Birdhouse has a 6″ by 6″ floor, 9″ inside floor to ceiling, 1 3/4″ diameter entrance hole located 7″ above the floor and ventilation openings.

Attach the roof with hinges and lock in a closed position with shutter hooks. Some prefer a fixed roof with a Side Opening Door.

Use rough cut wood stock on both sides. Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes to reduce splitting wood.

Mount this nest box on a tree or post in a secluded area in the woods, forest or field edge, or near a stream between four and ten feet high with partial sun and shade.

Remove the nest and clean the box after the brood rearing seasons are over. Swallows, chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers may also use this box.

Visit the Great-crested Flycatcher Birdhouse Page.

Great-crested Flycatcher Birdhouse

Select to view or print nest box plans

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Great-crested Flycatcher

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Painting of a singing great-crested flycatcher perched on a twig.

Myiarchus crinitus
Long-haired Lord of the Flies

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Myiarchus
Species: crinitus

La. passer sparrow, small bird
La. forma form, kind, species
Gr. turannos tyrant
La. tyrannus tyrant, despot, king

La. -idae appearance, resemblance
Gr. muia a fly
Gr. arkhos lord, prince
La. crinitus long haired

Nine inches long. Upper parts olive. Olive brown crested head, yellow belly, ashy gray throat and breast, chestnut tail. Wing coverts crossed with two irregular bars of yellowish white.

USGS map shows the great-crested flycatcher ranges east of the Rocky Mountains in the US and Canada to the East Coast.

Great-crested Flycatchers inhabit woodlands and small towns in North America east of the Rocky Mountains from the Gulf States to New Brunswick and Quebec, west to Alberta. They winter in the Gulf States, eastern Mexico, Caribbean islands, Central America and northern South America.

Painting of a great-crested flycatcher perched on a branch with tree tops in the background.

They fly from high perches and pursue with great agility flying moths, butterflies, wasps, flies and other flying insects, some beneficial but mostly pestilent. Sometimes they take beetles, ants, caterpillars and crickets and other crawling insects from foliage. They also eat wild fruits and berries.

Great-crested flycatchers are domineering neighbors. They promptly dash after any other bird intruders to drive them away and even drive them out of their own nests to make their own.

They build bulky nests of twigs, grass, rootlets, moss, feathers and snake skins in natural or abandoned tree cavities. They like birdhouses and are often found nesting in boxes intended for bluebirds or purple martins.

Females lay three to six light brown speckled eggs, which hatch after about two weeks incubation and young leave the nest in about another two weeks.

Visit the Great-crested Flycatcher Birdhouse Page.

Great-crested Flycatcher Birdhouse

The Great-crested Flycatcher Birdhouse has a 6″ by 6″ floor, 9″ inside floor to ceiling, 1 3/4″ diameter entrance hole located 7″ above the floor and ventilation openings.

Attach the roof with hinges and lock in a closed position with shutter hooks. Some prefer a fixed roof with a Side Opening Door.

Use rough cut wood stock on both sides. Assemble with corrosion resistant screws fit to pre-drilled countersunk pilot holes to reduce splitting wood.

Select to view or print nest box plans

Great-crested Flycatcher
Birdhouse Plans

Mount this nest box on a tree or post in a secluded area in the woods, forest or field edge, or near a stream between four and ten feet high with partial sun and shade.

Remove the nest and clean the box after the brood rearing seasons are over.

Swallows, chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers may also use this box.

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