White-browed Chat-Tyrant

Overview

The white-browed chat-tyrant (Ochthoeca leucophrys) is a species of tyrant flycatcher found in the western Andean highlands of South America. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with a very large range and a population that is believed to be stable.

Identification

• A medium-sized bird, 14.5 to 15.5 cm long, with sexes having identical plumage.
• Characterised by a wide white supercilium extending past the eye, a dark gray to grayish brown crown, and a blackish mask.
• Upperparts are slightly lighter than the crown with a cinnamon tinge on the lower back, and wings are dusky gray with two faint cinnamon wing bars.
• Song is described as a squeaky chatter, often in duet, transcribed as "wu-chew'widdu".

Habitat

This species inhabits dry montane forest and Polylepis woodlands, favouring ravines, gorges, and grassy slopes near water such as streams. It also occurs in cultivated areas with hedgerows and is found at elevations between 2,000 m and 4,200 m across its range in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru.

Diet

The white-browed chat-tyrant feeds on insects, typically foraging singly or in pairs. It perches upright on a bush in the open, taking prey mostly in mid-air or with a sally to the ground, often returning to the same perch after a capture.

Did you know?

Very little is known about its breeding biology, as only one nest has been recorded, which contained just a single egg and was constructed as an open cup of twigs lined with feathers, hair, and wool in a clump of grass near a stream.