Mystery Flycatcher from Ecuador

Are these pictures of Empidonax flycatchers? This has been identified as an Alder or Willow Flycatcher. All three photos are of the same bird taken in a few minutes. Do you agree with the identification?

On the basis of the response received from Frontiers of Field Identification, I've changed the tentative identification.

Small-billed Elaenia   Elania parvirostris
Sacha Lodge, Ecuador  2001-06-26
S0 28.517 W76 28.529 Altitude 725 ft.
Canon Eos D30 + Cannon 300 f/2.8 APO 2:1 1/180-5.6 at 600 mm
  © David Cahlander

Click for larger Image

The identifications received from the Fontiers of Field Identification are:

• Mark Lockwood - mark.lockwood@tpwd.state.tx.us
  I just looked at your photos and I think the bird is a Short-billed Elaenia. I am no expert, but my first impression was Elaenia and these austral migrants are in Ecuador in June.  The chances of a Traill's Flycatcher being in South America in late June would have to be negligible.
• Chris Benesh - cbenesh@rtd.com
  I am really no authority on Ecuador (having never birded there on the mainland), but I have done a moderate amount of tropical birding.  I am also familiar with the Alder/Willow group.  When I saw your photos (which are great by the way), I was struck by two things.  First, the proportions seems wrong for an Empidonax (e.g., head too small for body), but I was also struck by how much it reminded me of an Elaenia.  I do not know Ecuador's elaenia at all, but a quick check of Ridgely made me wonder if your bird was not a Small-billed Elaenia (E. parvirostris).  The bird is described as occurring in the region of Sacha Lodge, and more closely resembles your bird.  In the first picture, it looks as though part of the concealed white crest is visible and the bold eye-ring certainly fits.  Further, proportions and pattern of the wing coverts and tertials is more like an elaenia to me.  Other the other hand, I could be totally offbase.  Anyway, thanks for sharing your pictures.
• Ken Rosenberg - kvr2@cornell.edu
  The bird looks to me like Elaenia parvirostris (small-billed Elaenia), which is an austral migrant that would be expected in amazonian Ecuador in June.  It's a bird that has been predicted to occur in the U.S., but obviously can be easily overlooked.  Please forward my comments to the ID-Frontiers List -- they may want to confirm this with someone from LSU, or Bret Whitney.
• Colby Neuman scythebill83@hotmail.com
  I don't have my Ecuador guide so I can't help you with the identification of this bird other than the mystery bird is definitely not a Willow/Alder Flycatcher.  I'm sorry I'm not more helpful with the actual identification.
• John A. Gerwin ncs1416@mindspring.com
  I'm no expert here, but it just doesn't quite look like the Alders and Willows we have here in NC. The underside colors just don't match with my memory of those here, which tend to be much grayer or whiter, and paler.  The secondary feather edgings don't seem right either, nor the disjunctness of the wingbars. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Whenever I'm "there" (South America) I always think, by default, of Elaenia/Myiopagis!  I'm curious why it's not an Elaenia....?
• Christopher Witt - chriswitt@hotmail.com
  I looked at the flycatcher pics.  I can't tell you what it is.  I CAN tell you that there's NO WAY it is an Empidonax.  The head is too small relative to the body size.  The middle picture shows an nearly all dark lower mandible which rules out Alder/Willow.  I suggest it's some type of Elaenia.
• José Placer - jplacer@coereba.org
  Saw the photos of the mystery flycatcher and all I can tell you is that Willow Flycatchers don't look anything like that.
  I worked with Willow Flycatchers during two summers in central California so I'm very familiar with them.  The bird doesn't even look "too" Empidonax too me, though I could be wrong.
  But, playing it safe with one species, I'd say it's not a willow flycatcher.
• Paul Greenfield - paulg@pi.pro.ec
  I agree with the Small-billed Elaenia diagnosis.
• Robert Ridgely - rridgely@earthlink.net
  The bird in the photos is almost surely correctly identified as Elaenia parvirostris (Small-b. Elaenia).  If it's not that, then it's some other Elaenia sp., but I don't think so.  Time of year and site are perfect.  The eye-ring shape is wrong for either of those Empidonax (too round), and perfect for the elaenia.  Shape and posture are also perfect, as is the hint of white in crown shown in leftmost picture.  Not to mention of course that neither Empidonax would be expected in Amaz. Ecuador at that time of year, though crazy things can and do of course happen with migrant species.
  Am astonished that John would souggest "Tropical Pewee," which looks so very different - not to mention the fact that it doesn't occur in Ecuador at all (and even punensis -which I split from Tropical - occurs only in the west).