The Gray Flycatcher was unknown in Canada prior to 1970 but underwent a population increase and major range expansion in the 1980s; it was first detected in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia in 1984 and by 1990 there were at least 47 territorial males present (Cannings 1987, Cannings 1995). The range expansion may have continued since (Weber 2015a). Though the species is poorly covered by the Breeding Bird Survey and precision of the trend estimate is low, the results also suggest a large increase in abundance. Relying mainly on evidence from published reports, the Gray Flycatcher population is best assessed as having shown a large increase since the 1970s and is considered to be within acceptable levels of the national population goal (see BBS Canada graph below).
Additional information on: Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis