A Vermillion Flycatcher and Black Phoebe (below) were recently photographed in the act of catching tiny fish by Jeffry Scott, testament to the importance of using a camera to document rare behaviors and rare bird sightings.

Sometimes binocular views don’t reveal all the minute details of bird plumage, bird behavior, and even bird identification. But a photograph is still worth a thousand words, and more, when it reveals the details of a split-second behavior that hasn’t been described or verified before. That’s what happened when an ace birder and bird photographer documented a behavior he thought he witnessed, but needed that split-second look that only a photograph can produce to show that a Vermilion Flycatcher was actually catching more than flies – it was catching fish! Tiny fish, but fish nonetheless.

As noted in a recent Audubon article, photographing a rare bird behavior is the highlight of any birder’s day in the field, but documenting a behavior that has never been imagined before, that’s a whole different level exciting. Arizona birder Jeffry Scott unknowingly achieved the latter this past September while photographing Vermilion Flycatchers at a park in Tucson, Arizona. Vermilion Flycatchers are often found near water, where they tend to “hawk” insects, flying from a perch to catch flying bugs in typical flycatcher style. But, while observing this activity, Scott also saw the small red birds actively catching fish.

Scott explained that he first photographed Black Phoebes catching and consuming tiny fish, but the Vermilions proved more elusive. Time and patience paid off though, and now Jeffry Scott has documented both species catching super-small fish, as well as an interesting mating display performed by male Vermilion Flycatchers. It’s a great story that emphasizes how birders can add to existing information about birds, and how a camera and lens can act as tools to document birds we see, including rare birds, and behaviors we witness. Birders are also using their cameras to take videos of bird behavior and displays, which are invaluable in some cases.

To learn more about the inside story that details Jeffry Scott’s photo documentation efforts and see more of his photographs, you can refer to the recent Audubon article at ‘Oh, Wow!’—Stunning Photos Offer First Known Proof of Vermilion Flycatchers Fishing | Audubon

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