The nest is bulky and less compact than those of other "Empidonax" flycatchers. The female builds the nest (males rarely help) from various plant materials, especially grass stalks and strips of bark. The nest is usually lined with softer materials, such as wool, hair, feathers, or soft grasses. Nests may be placed in sagebrush, bitterbrush, junipers, or pines. Nest height depends in part on the height of the substrate (i.e., nests tend to be higher in taller trees) but is usually above ground. Most nests are placed in the crotch of a branch next to the trunk, but some are situated on larger branches away from the trunk.