Northern Tufted Flycatcher

The Northern Tufted Flycatcher, known scientifically as Mitrephanes phaeocercus, is a diminutive avian member of the Tyrant Flycatcher family. This species is adorned with an olive-green plumage and a distinctive pointed crest, a characteristic feature that contributes to its name.

Identification Tips

Adults measure approximately 12 cm in length and weigh around 8.5 grams. They exhibit olive-green upperparts and a blackish tail and wings, which are accentuated by two buff wing bars and buff edging on the secondary feathers. The breast is an ochre-orange, transitioning to a bright yellow belly. Both sexes share a similar appearance, while juveniles can be identified by their brownish upperparts with buff fringing, orange wing bars, and paler underparts.

Habitat

The Northern Tufted Flycatcher is a common resident of mature mountain forests and tall secondary growth, particularly favoring edges and clearings with trees.

Distribution

This species is native to highland regions, ranging from northwestern Mexico to northwestern Ecuador. It is most abundant at elevations between 1200–2150 meters, although it can be found from 700–3000 meters above sea level.

Behaviour

Typically observed in pairs, the Northern Tufted Flycatcher engages in hunting flying insects from an open perch in a manner akin to a pewee. It often returns to the same perch and exhibits a tail vibration upon landing.

Song & Calls

The call of this species is a rapid "weet weet weet weet," while its dawn song is a very fast high "bip-bip-bip-dididiup-bip-bip-bibibiseer."

Breeding

The female constructs a saucer-shaped nest composed of moss, liverworts, and lichens, which is placed 4–27 meters high on a branch or vine, often concealed among ferns, bromeliads, and other epiphytes. She incubates the two brown-blotched white eggs for a period of 15–16 days until they hatch.

Similar Species

The Olive Flycatcher (Mitrephanes olivaceus) of Peru and Bolivia was once considered conspecific but is now recognized as a separate species.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Northern Tufted Flycatcher primarily consists of flying insects, which it adeptly captures from its perches.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List has classified the Northern Tufted Flycatcher as Least Concern, indicating that the species does not currently face any significant threats to its survival.