perch to catch prey from the ground or from foliage in the undergrowth, less often from branches and trunks, hardly ever in midair. Unlike many other tyrant flycatchers, it often moves on to another perch rather than returning to the same one. It also takes some fruit, especially in winter if insects are unavailable. Rarely, it takes small mammals and reptiles, which it kills by banging them against hard objects. Breeding The nest is built in a tree cavity or similar natural or man-made hole, and the normal clutch is three or four eggs. Vocalizations The ash-throated flycatcher is separated from other confusingly similar Myiarchus species by its calls, a burry kabrick and a rough prrt or wheer heard year-round. Conservation and threats Because of its extensive range, very large population, and generally increasing numbers, the ash-throated flycatcher has been listed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is one of the species protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. In the United States, the creation of bluebird trails, a network of nest boxes put out for the continent's three bluebird species, may benefit ash-throated flycatchers as they will also use the boxes. Ash-throated flycatchers have been found to be negatively affected by noise pollution. Noise pollution is an unnaturally high and harmful level of noise within an environment, and can be caused by industrial changes like airplanes or factories. In one study, noise pollution caused decreases in baseline corticosterone and increases in acute (stressor-induced) corticosterone levels in both adult female and nestling ash-throated flycatchers. At the highest levels of environmental noise, nestling flycatchers also showed decreased feather growth and body mass. Abnormal noise levels may also decrease the ash-throated flycatcher’s listening area within its territory, affecting its ability to find prey or avoid predators. Parasites and predators The ash-throated flycatcher is host to a number of parasites, including the nasal mite Tyranninyssus callinectoides (for which it is the type host) and the quill mite Syringophilopsis tyranni. References External links Ash-throated flycatcher Species Account – Cornell Lab of Ornithology ash-throated flycatcher Native birds of the Western United States Birds of Mexico ash-throated flycatcher ash-throated flycatcher