On 26 December an ABA Code-3 La Sagra's Flycatcher (Myiarchus sagrae) was found in a restricted area (NO PUBLIC ACCESS) of Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park (fee). Luckily the original finder, Robin Diaz, was able to relocate the bird outside the restricted area as it gave its “wheet” calls along the park's nature trail before returning briefly to what has been dubbed the “La Sagra Tree” (intersection of the nature trail and a restroom trail with the “tree”, ~100 yards south of the white gate. Robin says a (the) La Sagra’s Flycatcher has been in the same vicinity for three consecutive winters showing signs of territorial behavior.
La Sagra's Flycatcher was first reported in the ABA Area in 1963 in Orrville, central Alabama, a bird thought to be of the Cuban race, M. s. sagrae. Since the first report of this species in the ABA Area, at least 12 records and numerous reports have been recorded, all from South Florida. The Florida records are of birds thought to be of Bahamian origin, M. s. lucaysiensis (ABA Checklist, Fifth Edition, DeBenetictus et al.).
La Sagra's Flycatcher has been considered at times to be conspecific with Stolid Flycatcher (M. stolidus) but vocal differences showed the two taxa to be separate species, although the dawn song of the nominate race, M. s. stolidus, is similar to the dawn songs of the two races of La Sagra's Flycatcher (Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume 9). La Sagra Flycatcher is often separated from its congeners by its distinctive forward-leaning posture and flat-headed appearance. Although not considered threatened, the entire range of La Sagra's Flycatcher is the Bahamas, Cuba, and Cayman Islands (Birds of the West Indies, Raffaele et al.).
An excellent treatment with tips on identification of La Sagra’s Flycatcher by Smith and Evered can be found in a 1992 issue of Birding 24:294−296.
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