English and Scientific names:	Pacific-slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher Empidonax difficilis/occidentalis
Number of individuals:	1 fresh fall plumage ? first fall
Locality: LOUISIANA:	Bossier
Specific Locality:	Headquarters Unit of the Red River National Wildlife Refuge  in south Bossier City
Date(s) when observed:	12-20-07
Time(s) of day when observed:	between 8:15 and 8:30 am
Reporting observer and address:	Charles E. Lyon Shreveport, LA 71106
Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s):	none
Other observers accompanying reporter who independently identified the bird(s):	none
Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light):	early morning light with good sunlight and no cloud cover  The bird was due north of me throughout the period of observation.
Optical equipment:	Swarovski 10x42 EL
Distance to bird(s):	as close as 20 feet
Duration of observation:	3-5 minutes with 2 periods of excellent full views. The bird was obscured by cover the remainder of the time.
Habitat:	On the south edge of an oxbow lake off the Red River in low bushes and scrub adjacent to trees along the bank of the lake The bird remained low in the vegetation and never was higher than 6 feet from the ground.
Behavior of bird:	The bird was flycatching low off the ground and was obscured by vegetaion most of the time, but it did allow two excellent views of the full body. It was loosely associated with a mixed species feeding flock that included Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and an Orange-crowned Warbler. Cardinals, Field, White-throated,  and Fox Sparrows were also about
Description:	An Empid type flycatcher(significantly smaller than Eastern Phoebe) which was noticeably green and yellow,with a big headed peaked crown appearance and a bold white eye ring with a"tear-drop" expansion behind the eye that immediately ruled out Least Flycatcher, the leading winter empid contender in these parts. The eye ring was boldly white and the throat and pre-ocular area was dramatically yellow. The breast and belly as well as the undertail coverts were all yellow. The wingbars were also yellowish and contrasted against the darkish brown wings. The back was greenish brown as was the head, The bill had a yellowish lower mandible and was broader than Least or Yellow-bellied or Hammond's Flycatcher. The primary tip extension was fairly short giving the bird a long tailed appearance, in contrast to what one sees in Acadian Flycatcher. On one occasion the bird perched upright and pumped it's tail downward a couple of times like one sees with Gray Flycatcher and Eastern Phoebe.
Voice:	silent
Similar species:	See above description. In addition, Dusky Flycatcher has a narrower bill, a more rounded "delicate" head and shouldn't be so yellow on the throat and undersurface. The eye ring is not as "bold". The bird I saw had a really bold white eye ring with a pronounced post-ocular expansion (teardrop). Willow and Alder are eliminated by over all morphology, coloration, and lack of eye ring.
Photographs or tape recordings obtained?	none
Previous experience with this species:	extensive in regards to Cordilleran and I've seen Pacific-slope a number of times also
Identification aids:	I looked at National Geo and Sibley after observation.
This description is written from:	memory from observation this am
Are you positive of your identification? If not, explain:	Yes. It's a "Western" type, being either Pacific-slope or Cordilleran Flycatcher.
Reporter:	Charles Lyon
Date and time:	12-20-07 9:30 pm