Southern Scrub Flycatcher

Overview

The southern scrub flycatcher (Sublegatus modestus) is a small tyrant flycatcher found across parts of South America. It is classified as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN, with a population believed to be increasing despite its highly inconspicuous behaviour.

Identification

• Length of 13 to 15 cm with a weight of 9.5 to 13 g.
• Grayish brown crown that may form a shaggy crest, a whitish to pale gray face with a faint supercilium, and a dark eye-line.
• Pale yellow belly without a sharp demarcation from the pale gray breast, and two faint wing bars on dusky gray wings.
• Dark brown iris, stubby black bill, and gray legs; dawn song described as a loud, repeated two-syllable 'pseee-ú' in lowlands.

Habitat

Inhabits dry to arid scrublands and open deciduous woodlands across a range spanning Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay, with occasional records in Guyana, Suriname, Colombia, and Ecuador. Elevation typically ranges from sea level to 1,500 m, though it has reached 2,750 m in Bolivia.

Diet

Feeds primarily on arthropods, foraging low in shrubs and small trees by sitting erect on a perch with its tail straight down. It typically hover-gleans or snatches insects from leaves in short sallies, occasionally taking prey in mid-air.

Did you know?

The species is often overlooked in the field because of its highly inconspicuous behaviour and plumage, which makes its presence in places like Ecuador and Colombia difficult to confirm.