Short-crested Flycatcher

Overview

The short-crested flycatcher, Myiarchus ferox, is a species of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is found in every mainland South American country except Chile and is considered a year-round resident of its range.

Identification

• Approximately 18 cm (7.1 in) long, weighing 21 to 34 g (0.74 to 1.2 oz), with sexes showing the same plumage.
• Adults of the nominate subspecies possess a smoky brown crown and upperparts with a slight crest, a gray face, and wings featuring two pale wing bars.
• Dark smoky brown tail with rufous edges that wear quickly, a slightly lighter gray throat and breast, and a yellow belly and undertail coverts.
• Song consists of short, slowly vibrato-modulated whistles or a 'fine prrrrih trill', accompanied by calls such as rasping whistles, hiccups, and strident rattles.

Habitat

Inhabits a variety of somewhat open landscapes, including clearings and edges of dense forest, várzea and igapó forest, cerrado, riparian corridors, and agricultural areas. Elevation ranges up to 900 m in Colombia, 1,000 m in Ecuador, 1,100 m in Peru, and up to 1,000 m south of the Orinoco River in Venezuela.

Diet

Feeds on insects and fruit, foraging singly or in pairs. It perches in the forest's low to mid-level and makes upward sorties to vegetation to grab prey or take it while briefly hovering.

Did you know?

The nest is constructed from plant material, feathers, fur, and snake skin, typically placed inside a tree cavity.