Acadian Flycatcher
(Empidonax virescens)

Overview

Summary

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In Canada, the Acadian Flycatcher occurs in very low numbers in the Carolinian area of southern Ontario. Results from the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario and the Acadian Flycatcher/Hooded Warbler Recovery Team indicate that the distribution has changed little since the 1990s. Data on population change prior to the 1980s are scarce. The species was designated Endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 1994 (re-confirmed in 2010, COSEWIC 2010h). Conservation concerns are high because there is relatively little suitable habitat remaining for the species. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• BirdLife International / NatureServe
• Breeding Bird Survey (BBS): Relative Abundance and Breeding Distribution (1993-2012)
• Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario (2001-2005): Breeding evidence

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation of world population

Conservation and management

The main limiting factor for the Acadian Flycatcher in Canada is the small amount of suitable Carolinian forest that still exists in southern Ontario (Martin 2007). The Acadian Flycatcher is a habitat specialist requiring mature, undisturbed, deciduous forest and occurs in both large (>40 ha) woodlands and forested ravines. The main threats are logging practices in remaining forest that are incompatible with maintaining the species, as well as the continuing loss of these remnant forest areas (Martin 2007, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources 2011). Residential development in or adjacent to woodlots, and some farm-related activities (e.g. draining swamps) can have negative consequences for sensitive wildlife like the Acadian Flycatcher. The negative impact of invasive plants and non-native insects were identified as a concern by the Recovery Team. Currently, the Ontario population is likely augmented by periodic immigration from the core range in the United States which extends as far north as Pennsylvania and Ohio and in which the population appears to be stable. For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view the Recovery Strategy, see the SARA Registry. 

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• COSEWIC. 2010h. COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. x + 38 pp. COSEWIC. 2010h. COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. x + 38 pp. (Link)
• Environment Canada. 2012d. Recovery strategy for the Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) and the Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. viii + 32 pp. Environment Canada. 2012d. Recovery strategy for the Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) and the Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. viii + 32 pp. (Link)
• Martin, D. 2007. Acadian Flycatcher. pp. 344-345 in: Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage and A.R. Couturier, Eds. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature, Toronto, Ontario.
• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 2011. A Land Manager’s Guide to Conserving Habitat for Forest Birds in Southern Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 2011. A Land Manager’s Guide to Conserving Habitat for Forest Birds in Southern Ontario. (Link)