Fire-eyed Diucon
Pyrope pyrope
Overview
The fire-eyed diucon (Pyrope pyrope) is a passerine bird belonging to the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is the sole member of its genus and is native to South America, specifically Argentina and Chile.
Identification
- Males and females share similar plumage, featuring a dark grey crown, face, and upperparts, with a very pale ashy grey throat and darker ashy grey breast.
- The species is distinguished by its bright red iris, black bill, and black legs, though juveniles possess brown irises.
- It measures 18.5 to 21.5 cm in length and weighs between 31 and 50 g.
- Vocalisations are subdued, consisting of short call notes such as 'a quiet peet' or 'a soft pt', and songs terminating in a flourish like 'pt wheet whut T-T-wheeeooo'.
Habitat
The bird inhabits open landscapes such as the edges of Nothofagus forest, open woodlands, agricultural lands, and gardens, as well as shrubby ecotones between forest and steppe. Its range extends from northern Chile's Coquimbo Region and west-central Argentina's Neuquén Province south to Cape Horn, typically at elevations up to 2,000 m but occasionally as high as 3,050 m. Vagrant records exist for the Falkland Islands.
Diet
The fire-eyed diucon feeds primarily on insects, but also consumes fruits like wild berries and grapes during the austral winter. It forages mostly singly or in pairs, employing strategies such as dropping from a perch to prey on the ground or sallying from a perch to capture insects in mid-air.
Did you know?
Despite its open cup nests often being located in streamside vegetation up to 5 m high, they are subject to brood parasitism by shiny cowbirds. The eggs of the fire-eyed diucon are creamy white with red spots, and clutches typically consist of two to four eggs.