Pale-edged Flycatcher

Overview

The pale-edged flycatcher (Myiarchus cephalotes) is a species of tyrant flycatcher found in the Andes of South America. It is a small bird with distinctive pale markings on its wing and tail feathers, earning its English name from these unique features.

Identification

• Size and Plumage: 18–19 cm long, with an olive-green upper body, gray throat and breast, and yellow belly.
• Unique Markings: Wings have pale whitish to yellow outer edges on the secondaries and tertials, forming two wing bars; the tail has whitish outer webs on the outermost feathers, a pattern unique among Myiarchus.
• Face and Bill: Pale gray face with a slightly streaked, cresting brownish-olive crown; dark bill, dark legs, and dark eyes.
• Song: A mellow, descending series of whistles described as "PEE pew-pew-pew-pew" or "piyp! peeyur" followed by peer notes.

Habitat

Found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, typically in the subtropical and lower temperate zones. The bird inhabits the edges and clearings of moist and humid forests and open woodlands between 1,000 and 2,600 m elevation.

Diet

The pale-edged flycatcher feeds on insects and berry seeds. It forages by taking food from foliage and branches while briefly hovering and catches insects in mid-air.

Did you know?

The breeding season is only confirmed in Venezuela and Colombia (April–June), and while the nest is thought to be made of plant fibers in a tree cavity, no complete description of the structure or full breeding biology is currently known.