Smoky Bush Tyrant

Overview

The smoky bush tyrant, Myiotheretes fumigatus, is a bird species belonging to the tyrant flycatcher family. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, although its population is believed to be decreasing.

Identification

• Length of 18 to 20.5 cm with dark smoky brown upperparts and underparts, resembling a thrush in general appearance.
• Thin white supercilium on a dark face, with a mottled whitish and dark brown chin and throat featuring an ochraceous tinge.
• Blackish wings and tail that display prominent cinnamon bases on the inner webs of flight feathers and whitish edges on outer tail feathers in flight.
• Dawn song described as a long-sustained but halting series of clear, whistled notes, such as 'cheea, cheea, cheea, chuEE'.

Habitat

Inhabits the interior and edges of humid montane and elfin forest in upper subtropical and temperate zones, typically ranging from 2,000 to 3,600 m in elevation. Found on both slopes of the Andes across Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, where it is considered uncommon and local in Venezuela, common in Colombia and Ecuador, and uncommon in Peru.

Diet

Feeds primarily on insects, foraging singly or in pairs and occasionally joining mixed-species feeding flocks. It perches erect in the subcanopy to hawk prey in mid-air or hover-glean foliage with sallies from its perch.

Did you know?

Its nest is an open cup made mostly from moss and rootlets, lined with tree fern scales and nestled in a bed of moss on the side of a stump, often about 2 m above the ground.