0 the great crested flycatcher (myiarchus crinitus) is a large insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family .
1  it is the most widespread member of the genus , myiarchus , in north america and is found over most of the eastern and mid-western portions of the continent .
2  it dwells mostly in the treetops and rarely found on the ground .
3 adult great crested flycatchers usually measure between 1721 cm (78 in) in length with a wingspan of around 34 cm (13 in) .
4  this bird usually weighs between 2740 g (0.951.41 ounces) .
5 the great crested flycatcher does not display sexual dimorphism .
6  adults are brownish on the upperparts with yellow underparts; they have a long rusty brown tail and a bushy crest .
7  their throat and breast are grey .
8 their breeding habitat is deciduous or mixed forests across eastern north america .
9  they nest in a cavity in a tree .
10  a snake skin is usually included in the lining of the nest; sometimes a plastic wrapper is substituted .
11 these birds migrate to mexico and south america , also florida and cuba .
12 the great crested flycatcher habitat selection may vary slightly with different populations , but can be most often found breeding in deciduous forests and at edges of clearings and mixed woodlands .
13  they also show a tendency to favour landscapes with open canopy , such as second growth forests or woodlands that have been subjected to selective cutting , and also appears to avoid coniferous dominant habitats such as the canadian boreal forest .
14 the summer breeding ground covers all eastern , mid-eastern and parts of central united states , including northern parts of the florida peninsula , parts of texas , central oklahoma , and eastern and central north dakota .
15 in canada , it is limited to southern manitoba , extreme southern portions of the st-lawrence forest of ontario , quebec , northeast nova scotia and parts of prince edward island .
16 its winter range includes most of southern mexico and the yucatn peninsula , and extends along the costs of central america .
17  in southern peninsular florida , great crested flycatcher can be found year-round .
18 males will sing a three-part song composed of two short whistles: a wheerreep followed by a higher-pitched whee , and a soft low churr .
19  this song is meant to be heard by a mate at short distances , indicating periods of low disturbance and stress typically intensifying just before dawn .
20  it is appropriately named "dawn song" (or twilight song) .
21 in addition to the dawn song , great crested flycatcher also produce various calls , a series of fast ascending huit , huit , huit is given in moments of stress or excitement during interactions of between neighbours .
22  the most characteristic sound is perhaps a single loud whee-eep , called out to communicate between mates or parents and young birds .
23  a faster repetition of this call often signal predators in proximity to nests and young .
24  a rapid succession of harsh-sounds rasps signals alarm or stress often heard during territorial disputes between neighbouring birds the great crested flycatcher is primarily an insectivore , with insects and other invertebrates making up for the majority of its diet , but will also consume small portion of small fruits and berries .
25  despite the "flycatcher" of the bird's name , flies , along with spiders , make up only a small percentage of its diet; it prefers prey such as butterflies , moths , beetles , grasshoppers , crickets , and bees and wasps .
26 great crested flycatchers will use a variety of hunting tactics , although the most common method observed is a rather passive sit-and-wait strategy .
27  perched in high canopies , they search in all direction often accompanied by a characteristic head bobbing .
28  once they have spotted a potential prey , they swoop down and will pursue if they missed on the first dive .
29  they can also be seen abruptly braking and hovering , picking insects or small fruits off of leaves , trunks or other surfaces , sometimes crashing into the foliage in the process .
30 fruits and berries , when consumed are swallowed whole and the pits later regurgitated .
31 nest building begins as early as mid april for populations of the southern distribution , and as late as june for northern populations (i .
32 e .
33  manitoba) .
34 great crested flycatchers are socially monogamous with chances of pairs reforming in following years , given that both members of the pair survive the winter .
35  pairs have been observed to attempt copulation from the beginning of nest building all the way to the hatching of young , sometimes during the nest building process; this is thought to be a strategy developed by males in order to prevent female infidelity .
36  mating ritual for the great crested flycatcher is described as males swooping down from a high perch in order to initiate mating with females , sometimes hovering near hideaway if female retreats , before returning to perch and repeating diving routine until mating is successful .
37 although both parents will inspect potential sites , building of the nest is done almost entirely by the female , while the male closely guards its mate .
38  cavities than are large enough in size and opening are the preferred nesting sites , whether naturally occurring or excavated by other species (8) as well as use nesting boxes and other man-made structures .
39  most chosen cavities are situated between 2m and 6m off the forest ground (11,15) .
40  the nest itself is built within 2 to 4 days and is composed mostly of vegetation and plant fibers , such as grasses , moss , leaves , but also pieces of animal fur and feathers , pieces of shed snakeskin , and artificial materials (ex: strings , tape , cloth , and plastic objects) .
41  the inner diameter ranges from 79 cm .
42 great crested flycatchers lay a single clutch of 4-8 eggs , which are incubated on average for two weeks by the female only .
43  after hatching , nestlings will typically spend another two weeks in the nest before fledging .
44  during this time , nestlings are fed an insect dominated diet by both parents , although females will make more frequent visits .
