Dusky-chested Flycatcher

Overview

The dusky-chested flycatcher (Myiozetetes luteiventris) is a small bird in the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a population believed to be stable across a large range in the Amazon Basin.

Identification

• Size and Build: The smallest member of the genus Myiozetetes, measuring 14 to 15 cm in length and weighing approximately 16.5 g.
• Plumage: Features dark olive-brown upperparts and bright yellow underparts with olive cast and smudgy dark olive streaks on the upper breast; adult males of the nominate subspecies have a mostly hidden yellow-orange patch on the crown.
• Head and Bill: Possesses a stubby black bill and black legs and feet, with a black iris.
• Vocalisations: Emits a nasal, cat-like 'meeow' or softer 'nee' as a common call, and fast nasal 'nyeeuw-nyeeuw' or 'kee-p-kit' calls when excited, sometimes dueted by pairs.

Habitat

Found in a disjunct distribution within the Amazon Basin, including parts of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. It inhabits the canopy of both terra firme and várzea evergreen forests, as well as shrubby forest edges, clearings, and riverbanks, reaching elevations of up to 1,000 m in Peru.

Diet

Feeds on insects and small fruits, typically foraging in pairs or small family groups. It perches erect on exposed branches up to 20 m high, gleaning or hover-gleaning insects from foliage, and usually takes fruit at lower heights.

Did you know?

The species is characterised by a nasal, cat-like 'meeow' call, and its one known nest was a bulky domed cup made from grass with a side entrance.