Cinnamon Attila

Overview

The cinnamon attila (Attila cinnamomeus) is a species of tyrant flycatcher found throughout mainland South America, excluding Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. It is currently classified as a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Adults measure approximately 19.5 to 20.5 cm in length and weigh between 28 and 45 g.
• Plumage is predominantly deep rufous on the head, upperparts, and tail, with cinnamon-rufous underparts that are slightly yellower on the belly.
• Features a black bill, reddish-brown iris, and grey legs and feet.
• Vocalisations include a loud ascending whistle described as "weary weary weary weer-ry" and a hawk-like call resembling "pü-puéééeeeear".

Habitat

This species inhabits the Amazon and Orinoco basins, occupying a variety of landscapes closely associated with water, including várzea, igapó, swampy forests, oxbow lake edges, river islands, and mangroves. Its range extends from southeastern Colombia through eastern Ecuador and northeastern Peru, east across the Guianas, and across northern Bolivia and Brazil to the Atlantic coast.

Diet

The cinnamon attila feeds primarily on large arthropods, supplementing its diet with small amphibians and fruit. It forages singly or in pairs, typically within the forest's mid-storey, using gleaning from vegetation and branches after a short sally from a perch.

Did you know?

Although historically classified within the cotingas and later the tyrant flycatchers, molecular genetic studies published in 2020 identified the cinnamon attila as the sister species to the rufous-tailed attila.