This spectacular species is not only beautiful but obvious as it perches in the open on fence posts, telephone wires and tree tops in open grassy areas. The large nest is made of twigs and stems and placed low in a crotch of an isolated tree or shrub. This flycatcher feeds on insects, often captured on the ground or low in the air. In the fall it also eats a few berries. Hawks, crows and ravens entering its feeding area are often attacked aggressively. A notorious post-breeding wandered, individuals occasionally but regularly move in late summer to points far to the north of its normal range and spend a few weeks before moving south to normal winter grounds.
The four-digit banding code is STFL.
