Empidonax minimus
Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The least flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) (also called chebec, or chebecker, after the sound it makes) is a small insect-eating bird. It is the smallest Empidonax flycatcher in eastern North America. The closest relative to the least flycatcher was long thought to be the Hammond's flycatcher based on similarities in their songs and appearances. However, mitochondrial DNA analysis has revealed that the least flycatcher diverges significantly from its congeners and does not possess any sister taxa.
The least flycatcher is hard to distinguish from the other birds of its genus. The bird is one of the smallest of the genus Empidonax, measuring 12 to 14 cm in height with a wingspan of 19 to 22 cm and weighing approximately 10.3 g. Its plumage is dull olive-gray on its back and whitish on its belly, notably brighter than the other Empidonax birds. The least flycatcher's wings are lined with two white bars, and white rings contour its eyes. Its beak is short and the lower mandible is yellowish. The juveniles look similar to the adults except that their wing bars are slightly darker, with tawny/olive hues. Because other flycatchers also have those field marks... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Toluca | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Least Flycatcher sighting in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on a given day, based on 106 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 48th most-seen of the 145 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and July
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Least Flycatcher in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–April, September–October and December–January, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Least Flycatcher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
12th of 50
Of the 50 parks where we can rate Least Flycatcher sightings, Cape Breton Highlands National Park ranks 12th at about 10%. The best odds are in Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 50%), Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 40%) and Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same genus: Empidonax
The closest relatives of the Least Flycatcher that you can see in Cape Breton Highlands National Park (genus Empidonax, Empidonax Flycatchers) are Alder Flycatcher (about 10%) and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Least Flycatcher is recorded against all the birds logged in Cape Breton Highlands National Park (106 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
