Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant

Overview

The brown-backed chat-tyrant (Ochthoeca fumicolor) is a species of tyrant flycatcher found in the Andes of South America. It is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its very large range and stable population, although it faces potential threats from habitat clearing.

Identification

• Size: 14.5 to 16 cm long, weighing 16 to 19 g.
• Plumage: Males and females are similar, though females have paler underparts; adults feature a warm brown crown, a wide whitish supercilium, rufescent brown upperparts, and cinnamon-rufous underparts.
• Features: Dark brown iris, small black bill, and black legs.
• Song: Described as a fast, rhythmic duet in Venezuela, a weak squeaky chatter in Peru, and a fast chattered sequence in Ecuador.

Habitat

The species has a disjunct distribution across Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, inhabiting stunted montane forest, Polylepis woodlands, and shrubby páramo up to tree line. It also occurs in pastures with shrubby borders, typically at elevations between 2,200 m and 4,200 m, with records ranging from 1,800 m to 4,500 m.

Diet

Feeds on insects, usually foraging singly or in pairs, and occasionally joining mixed-species flocks. It perches upright on branches, stumps, or shrubs, seldom exceeding 2 m above the ground, and captures prey by hawking in mid-air or near the ground, or by briefly hovering to pick from leaves or the surface.

Did you know?

In Ecuador, the species appears to nest between October and December, with an incubation period of 21 days and fledging occurring 25 days after hatching. Nests are cup-shaped structures made from moss and grass, lined with soft plant fibers or animal wool, and placed in grass clumps or dense vine tangles.