Grey-hooded flycatcher

Mionectes rufiventris

Photo by Dário Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:

grey-hooded flycatcher (en); abre-asa-de-cabeça-cinza (pt); pipromorphe à ventre roux (fr); mosquero ladrillito (es); graukopf-pipratyrann (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Tyrannidae

Range:

This South American species is found in south-eastern Brazil, Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina.

Size:

These birds are 13 cm long and weigh 13-14 g.

Habitat:

Grey-hooded flycatchers are mostly found in Atlantic rain forests and in secondary woodlands, both in the lowlands and in mountainous areas.

Diet:

They take both arthropods and fruits.

Breeding:

This is one of the few flycatcher species with a lek breeding system, with males gathering at the lek to sing and attract females. They nest in August-January, building an elongated, pyriform-shaped nest with a lateral entrance, made of dry vegetable fibers and moss, and sometimes lines with Marasmius fungus. The nest is most often placed over water, fixed to tree roots under stream beds or attached to dry Pteridium leaves. There the female lays 3 eggs which are incubated for 22 days. The chicks fledge 18-21 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, it is described as fairly common but patchily distributed. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.