How long do least flycatchers live?

Longevity records come from birds that were marked and later found again, usually through bird banding, or from birds kept in zoos. They show what a Least Flycatcher can survive to, not what most do.

For small birds, the first year is the hardest. Many eggs and nestlings are lost to predators and weather, and young birds that leave the nest still have to learn to find food and avoid hawks and cats. A bird that survives its first winter has a much better chance of living several more years. That is why average lifespans in the wild are short even when the record is long.

Least flycatchers usually start breeding at about 1 year old. Each season a pair lays 3–6 eggs and raises 1 per season, with eggs taking 13–15 days to hatch.

Oldest recorded ages for other tyrant flycatchers on this site.

• Great Crested Flycatcher14.9 years
• Ash-throated Flycatcher11.9 years
• Eastern Kingbird11.1 years
• Eastern Phoebe10.3 years
• Eastern Wood-Pewee8.2 years
• Black Phoebe8 years

• Least Flycatcher: identification, diet and range
• Baby least flycatchers: eggs, nestlings and fledglings