Whiskered Myiobius

Overview

The whiskered myiobius, also known as the bearded flycatcher, is a species of bird in the family Onychorhynchidae. It is widely distributed across tropical South America and is considered a species of least concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• Olive upper parts with an obvious yellow rump and a usually well-concealed yellow patch on the crown.
• Underparts are greyish-olive with a pale yellow belly and a black, somewhat rounded tail.
• Long rictal bristles around the beak form a distinctive basket-like structure.
• Typically silent, but may occasionally utter a staccato "psik".

Habitat

This species inhabits the lower parts of the canopy in humid rainforests and heavily degraded former forest at altitudes below 900 m. Its range covers the Amazon basin in northern Brazil, northeastern Peru, eastern Ecuador, eastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.

Diet

The diet consists largely of insects, many of which are caught aerobatically on the wing. It frequently forages in small mixed flocks.

Did you know?

When perched, the bird often droops its wings and fans its tail feathers in a manner that is remarkably reminiscent of Old World fantails (Rhipidura).