Olive-chested Flycatcher

Overview

The olive-chested flycatcher (Myiophobus cryptoxanthus) is a small bird in the tyrant flycatcher family found in the Andean region of South America. It is a year-round resident classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a population believed to be increasing.

Identification

• Approximately 12 cm long and weighing 8.5 to 11 g, with dark olive upperparts and a dirty white throat.
• Breast is heavily streaked with grayish olive, transitioning to a pale yellow belly and vent.
• Males possess a partially hidden yellow patch on a dull olive-brown crown, a feature that is smaller in females.
• Dark, dusky wings feature two whitish buff wing bars, and the bird has a dark iris with black legs and feet.
• Song consists of an evenly spaced series of rich 'dewp' or 'wheep' notes, sometimes interspersed with chattered phrases like 'dji'dji'dji-wheep'.

Habitat

Found along the eastern slope of the Andes in Ecuador and northeastern Peru, the species inhabits somewhat open landscapes such as shrubby clearings, pastures, secondary woodland, and forest edges. It typically occurs between 400 and 1,400 m in Ecuador and slightly higher elevations of 900 to 1,750 m in Peru.

Diet

This flycatcher feeds primarily on arthropods and likely consumes small berries. It forages alone or in pairs within the forest understory, avoiding mixed-species feeding flocks. It takes prey from foliage and twigs while perched, often using short flights to hover-glean.

Did you know?

The scientific name cryptoxanthus translates from Greek as 'hidden yellow', a reference to the partially concealed yellow patch on the bird's crown.