Olive-sided Flycatcher

Contopus cooperi

This bird's distinctive three-note whistle is famously mnemonically described as sounding like 'Quick, three beers!'

Scientific name: Contopus cooperi
Taxonomy: Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Passeriformes › Tyrannidae › Contopus
IUCN Red List status: Near Threatened
Population trend: decreasing
Biome: forest
Habitat: Coniferous forests, particularly near edges, clearings, and burned areas with standing snags.
Diet: Strictly insectivorous, specializing in flying insects like bees, wasps, and beetles.
Range: North America, Central America, South America
Size: 18-20 cm in length, with a wingspan of 31-35 cm
Lifespan: Approximately 7 years
Active: diurnal
Threats: Habitat loss on breeding and wintering grounds, fire suppression, and decline in insect biomass.
Safe to approach?: Harmless. These birds are best observed from a distance using binoculars as they perch on the highest tips of dead trees. Avoid approaching nesting sites during the spring and summer to prevent abandonment of eggs or chicks. If a bird is found injured, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator.

The olive-sided flycatcher ( Contopus cooperi ) is a passerine bird. It is a medium-sized tyrant flycatcher.

Photo: Todd Boland, CC-BY, via iNaturalist