Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii) have declined in California, and much of the state's population is now restricted to meadows in the Sierra Nevada (Harris et al. 1987; Serena 1982).
To understand the factors contributing to their decline and to develop recommendations to protect and enhance the flycatchers’ habitat, we studied a Sierra Nevada population of Willow Flycatchers in the late spring and summer of 1986.
In this paper, we present preliminary information on Willow Flycatcher nesting success, territory and habitat characteristics, and effects of livestock grazing. We conclude with some management recommendations based on this study and the results of a distributional survey also conducted in the summer of 1986 (see Harris et al. 1987).