Vermilion Flycatchers primarily hunt for insects. However, Tucsonan Jeffry Scott’s photos of Vermilion Flycatchers in the Spring of 2025 captured national recognition for documenting that these birds can also catch fish!! Jeffry discovered this unusual behavior at El Rio Preserve. It is reasonable to assume that local Vermilion Flycatchers may also be fishing at other locations like Sweetwater Wetlands. After I learned about Jeffry’s discovery, I spent some time watching one particular male Vermilion and I am certain it was fishing too!
While I never got a shot of Vermilion capturing a fish, there is no doubt in my mind that this Flycatcher was fishing.
As Vermilion Flycatchers are known to do, they return to a hunting perch over and over again. I watched as this bird would swoop down to the water, and then return to the dried reed with the burnt top. Shortly, it would spot something in the water and dive down for it.
Just as quickly it would return to its hunting perch. Although I never saw it with prey in its bill, the fact that it continued to hunt from this reed assured me that this was a successful hunting spot. The Vermilion showed no interest in moving on to another location.
And so it continued hunting.
Vermilion Flycatchers are about the size of a Sparrow, perhaps 5 inches long with a 10 inch wingspan. Their cousins, the Black Phoebes, are found in habitat near water and are known for catching aquatic prey. I think that people just assumed that the Vermilions near water were just hunting insects on the surface of the water because they were “fly” catchers.
After Jeffry’s great photos and discovery became known all of the birders in the Tucson area understood what Vermilion Flycatchers were doing when they were hunting near water. In this post’s sequence, taken shortly after Jeffry’s revelations became public, I knew what the Flycatcher was doing!
Vermilion Flycatchers have always had the reputation as handsome birds. They have always been interesting to watch as they flew from perches to capture insects on the wing or insects on the ground. I now know that Vermilion Flycatchers can adapt to their environment and develop new skills without we humans knowing anything about it.
Great flight shots!