Rather drab, small flycatcher of marshes and semiopen areas with bushes and hedges; winters mainly in lowland marshes. Flicks tail upward when perched. Looks similar to several other species in the genus Empidonax. Best identified by its distinctive call: a burry, slightly sneezy “rreeah,” quite different from Willow Flycatcher, which often occurs alongside White-throated in winter. Also note the whitish throat, buffy wingbars and flanks, and the lack of a distinct pale eyering.