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The "Western" Flycatcher complex was split into Cordilleran and Pacific-slope Flycatchers in 1989 (American Ornithologists' Union 1989). The breeding range of the Cordilleran Flycatcher in Canada remains imperfectly known; thus changes in the Canadian population are difficult to determine. The "Western" Flycatcher expanded its range east and north in British Columbia starting in the mid-1940s (Campbell et al. 1997) with the first record for Alberta in 1954 (Semenchuk 1992). Alberta populations have been assumed to be Cordilleran Flycatchers (Godfrey 1986, Semenchuk 1992, Semenchuk 2007), but recent genetic studies indicate that birds in the Interior of British Columbia and Alberta are intergrades between the two species (Rush et al. 2009).
"Western" Flycatchers in Alberta and the British Columbia interior are strongly associated with coniferous forests along creeks, rivers and lakeshores (Campbell et al. 1997, Lowther 2000). The long-term decline in the United States is cause for concern. There have been reports of declines from "cleaning up" by removing downed trees and brush which has resulted in local extirpation (Lowther 2000). Otherwise, causes are not well understood. Further research is necessary to determine the range and status of both Cordilleran and Pacific-slope Flycatchers in Canada.
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:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.