Black-capped Flycatcher

Overview

The black-capped flycatcher (Empidonax atriceps) is a very small passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is found exclusively in Costa Rica and Panama and is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• 10 to 12 cm long with a weight of approximately 9 g, featuring a distinctive black crown with a short crest.
• A bold white eye-ring that is wider behind the eye contrasts with an otherwise brownish olive face.
• Underparts consist of a white throat and pale buffish cinnamon breast and belly.
• Bill is black on the upper mandible with an orange-yellow lower mandible tipped in dark colour, accompanied by blackish legs.

Habitat

Inhabits primary and secondary montane evergreen forest in upper subtropical and temperate zones, as well as shrubby pastures, between elevations of 2,100 and 3,300 m. Its range covers the Cordillera Central, Dota Mountains, and Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica, extending into western Panama's Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro provinces.

Diet

Feeds on insects captured by hawking from perches high in the forest canopy or on bushes and fences in open areas, often returning to the same perch. The bird quivers its tail upon landing after a sally.

Did you know?

Breeding between March and May, the bird constructs an open cup nest from grass and mosses lined with fine plant fibres and horsehair. A remarkable nesting habit involves suspending the nest from grass overhanging an earthen embankment, in addition to placing it in branch saddles.