Colored leg bands can be seen on a young southwestern willow flycatcher.

Willow flycatcher surveys produce early results

Annual surveys for the federally endangered southwestern willow flycatcher started in May along the Las Vegas Wash and there has already been an exciting development.

For the first time since 2013, surveys documented a breeding territory in the Nature Preserve portion of the Clark County Wetlands Park.

Biologists were able to get a good look at the bird in June, spotting colorful ankle bands on each leg.

These bands have color patterns specific to each individual and can be checked against a database to learn its capture history.

This individual’s history shows it was captured and banded as a newly hatched nestling in 2025 near Mesquite.

Biologists were unable to determine if the young bird survived long enough to fledge last year, so this new sighting solved that mystery.

However, the best news of all is that he attracted a mate, resulting in a verified nested pair and three eggs — starting a new generation at the Wash.

Find out what birds we monitor at the Las Vegas Wash and why.

Where to go at the Las Vegas Wash

Clark County Wetlands Park

2,900-acre nature preserve
Miles of trails for walking, biking, bird watching and more
Nature Center with 10,000 square feet of interactive displays, artwork and activities

Get Directions

Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve

Home to thousands of migratory and resident desert birds
Nine ponds available for birding
3/4-mile long trail accessible by wheelchair

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Water quality

See how the wetlands at the Wash clean the water that runs through them, filtering out harmful residues from fertilizers, oils and other contaminants that flow downstream.