Crowned Slaty Flycatcher
Empidonomus aurantioatrocristatus
Overview
The crowned slaty flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found throughout mainland South America, excluding Suriname, though it only visits Chile, French Guiana, and Venezuela as a vagrant. Single records also exist for Panama and the U.S. state of Louisiana.
Identification
- Length of 16.5 to 18 cm and a weight of 27 to 46 g.
- Flattened black crown featuring a mostly hidden golden yellow patch, accompanied by a gray supercilium and dusky ear coverts.
- Brownish gray upperparts and light gray underparts with a yellowish tinge on the belly.
- Brown iris, black bill, and black legs and feet.
Habitat
The bird inhabits somewhat open landscapes such as deciduous and gallery forest, light woodlands, scrublands, and cerrado with scattered trees during the breeding season. In the Amazon Basin during winter, it primarily occupies the canopy at forest edges, openings, and clearings within both varzea and terra firme forest. Elevation ranges from sea level up to 1,200 m in Brazil, and slightly lower in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.
Diet
The crowned slaty flycatcher feeds on insects and fruit, though specific details are lacking. It usually forages singly by taking insects on the wing with sallies from a perch atop a tree or shrub.
Did you know?
The specific epithet aurantioatrocristatus is a combination of late Medieval Latin aurantius meaning orange-coloured, Latin ater meaning black, and cristatus meaning crested.