Bran-coloured flycatcher

Myiophobus fasciatus

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:
bran-coloured flycatcher (en); filipe (pt); moucherolle fascié (fr); mosquero estriado (es); rostschnäppertyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found in South America, from northern Colombia and Venezuela south to northern Chile and north-eastern Argentina, but is mostly absent from the Amazon river basin. It is also found in Panama, Costa Rica and Trinidad.

Size:
These birds are 12-13 cm long and weigh about 10 g.

Habitat:
The bran-coloured flycatcher usually avoids dense forested areas, using forest edges, savannas, scrublands, second growths and pastures. It is found from sea level up to an altitude of 2.650 m.

Diet:
They catch flying insects by sallying out from a perch.

Breeding:
Bran-coloured flycatchers nest in a deep cup made of stems and bark, and lined with fine plant fibres. It is suspended by the rim from one or two branches low in a tree. The female lays 2 cream-coloured eggs with a few faint reddish spots. The eggs are incubated by the female for 17 days. The chicks fledge 15-17 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The bran-coloured flycatcher is suspected to be increasing as habitat conversion creates more areas of suitable habitat.

Fulvous-breasted flatbill

Rhynchocyclus fulvipectus

Photo by Nick Athanas (Antpitta)

Common name:
fulvous-breasted flatbill (en); bico-chato-de-peito-ruivo (pt); platyrhynque à poitrine fauve (fr); picoplano pechirrufo (es); ockerbrust-breitschnabeltyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This South American species is found from Venezuela, through Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and into Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 15 cm long and weigh 25-30 g.

Habitat:
The fulvous-breasted flatbill is mostly found in mountain rainforests, especially along rivers ans streams. They also use rainforests in lowland areas. This species is present at altitudes of 750-2.300 m.

Diet:
They are insectivorous, taking various small insects and other invertebrates.

Breeding:
Fulvous-breasted flatbills breed in August-December. The nest is a domed structure with a side entrance opening towards the ground, made of plant fibres, mosses, ferns and dry roots. It is attached to the end of a branch, overhanging a stream 3-12 m above the water. The female lays 1-3 white eggs, sometimes with reddish spots. She incubates the eggs alone for 24 days. The chicks fledge 29 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as uncommon. It is suspected to loose 20% of suitable habitat within its range, based on a model of Amazonian deforestation. Therefore, the fulvous-breasted flatbill is expected to decline at a moderate rate in the near future.

Tufted tit-tyrant

Anairetes parulus

Photo by José Cañas (Flickr)

Common name:
tufted tit-tyrant (en); papa-moscas-de-crista (pt); taurillon mésange (fr); cachudito (es); meisentachurityrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found along the Andes mountain chain, from southern Colombia to northern Argentina, and also in the lowland areas of central and southern Argentina and Chile.

Size:
These birds are 9,5-11 cm long and weigh 6 g.

Habitat:
The tufted tit-tyrant is mostly found in mountain scrublands and moist tropical forests, but also uses lowland rainforests and scrublands, as well as temperate forests. They can be found from sea level up to an altitude of 4.200 m.

Diet:
They feed on a wide variety of insects, occasionally also taking seeds.

Breeding:
Tufted tit-tyrants breed in August-June, varying between different parts of their range. The nest is a small, compact cup made of grass, lichens, root fibres and plant down, and thickly lined with small feathers.It is placed in a scrub of bamboo shoot, usually near a clearing, path or stream. There the female lays 2-3 creamy-white eggs. There is no information regarding the incubation and fledgling periods. Each pair raises 2 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Sulphur-rumped flycatcher

Myiobius sulphureipygius

Photo by Chris Perkins(Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
sulphur-rumped flycatcher (en); assanhadinho-de-uropígio-amarelo (pt); moucherolle à croupion jaune (fr); moscareta culiamarilla (es); schwefelbürzel-borstentyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Mexico to western Colombia and Ecuador.

Size:
These birds are 12 cm long and weigh 12 g.

Habitat:
The sulphur-rumped flycatcher is mostly found in the understorey of tropical rainforests, but also in secondary growths and gallery forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.200 m.

Diet:
They catch insects on the wing or by sallying out from a perch, mostly taking bees, bugs and flies.

Breeding:
These birds breed in March-June. The female builds the conical-shaped nest alone, using vegetable fibres. The nest is placed in a thin twig 1-10 m above the ground. There she lays 2-4 white or pinkish eggs with brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 22 days. The chicks fledge 22 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and has a global population estimated at 50.000-500.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be declining in some areas due to deforestation, but it is not considered threatened at prese

Northern beardless-tyrannulet

Camptostoma imberbe

Photo by Guy Poisson (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
northern beardless-tyrannulet (en); risadinha-nortenha (pt); tyranneau imberbe (fr); mosquerito imberbe (es); nördlicher blasskleintyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Arizona, through most of Mexico and into Guatemala, Honduras, western Nicaragua and north-western Costa Rica. The populations in Arizona and northern Mexico migrate south to winter along the southern parts of the range.

Size:
These birds are 9,5-10,5 cm long and weigh 7,5 g.

Habitat:
The northern beardless-tyrannulet is mostly found in tropical deciduous forests and moist scrublands, but also use dry savannas, dry scrublands, deserts, riparian vegetation along rivers and streams, plantations, rural gardens and even urban areas. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.500 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects and small fruits.

Breeding:
These birds breed in April-July. The nest is a small globular structure with a small side entrance, placed in a small twig at the end of a branch or on an epiphyte. It is usually 1-9 m above the ground. The female lays 2 white eggs with brown spots, which she incubates alone for 14-15 days. The chicks fledge about 17 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is although there is no information on population sizes, the population in North America is increasing.

Pale-edged flycatcher

Myiarchus cephalotes

Photo by Nick Athanas (Antpitta)

Common name:
pale-edged flycatcher (en); maria-cavaleira-dos-Andes (pt); tyran givré (fr); copetón montañero (es); Andenschopftyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found form northern Venezuela and along the eastern slopes of the Andes through Colombia, Ecuador and Peru and into central Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 18-20 cm long and weigh 24-28 g.

Habitat:
The pale-edged flycatcher is mostly found in mountain rainforests, but also in lowland rainforests and degraded patches of former rainforest. They are present at altitudes of 800-3.000 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects and other arthropods, especially butterflies and moths, cicadas, flies and wasps, but also katydids, dragonflies, beetles, spiders and millipedes.

Breeding:
Pale-edged flycatchers breed in March-December. They nest in a cavity in a tree or building, lined with dead leaves and small sticks. The female lays 2-3 white eggs with reddish-brown streaks, which she incubates alone for 18 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge after 18 days, but only become fully independent 9-10 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as uncommon. This species exhibits flexibility in habitat choice and consequently its population is suspected to be stable.

Western wood-pewee

Contopus sordidulus

Photo by Jim Stuart (New Mexico Ornithological Society)

Common name:
western wood-pewee (en); piui-ocidental (pt); pioui de l'Ouest (fr); pibí occidental (es); westlicher waldschnäppertyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species breeds in western North America, from Alaska and north-western Canada to Mexico and along Central America down to Honduras. They migrate south to winter in north-western Venezuela, western Colombia and along the Andean slopes of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

Size:
These birds are 14-16 cm long and have a wingspan of 26 cm. They weigh 11-14 g.

Habitat:
They mostly breed in open temperate forests, but also in boreal forests, especially along forest edges and in riparian areas. They winter in moist tropical forests. They are found at altitudes of 900-3.000 m.

Diet:
They feed on flying insects, including flies, ants, bees, wasps, beetles, moths, and bugs.

Breeding:
The western wood-pewee breeds in May-July. They are seasonally monogamous and nest on a
shallow cup of woven grass bound together with spider webs and covered on outside with moss, bud scales, or insect puparia. The nest is lined with hair or fine grass and placed in a fork on a tree. The female lays 2-4 creamy-white eggs with brown blotches, which  she incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-18 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 7,8 million individuals. The population has undergone a small decrease over the last 4 decades but is not threatened.

Mottle-cheeked tyrannulet

Phylloscartes ventralis

Photo by Cláudio Timm (Flickr)

Common name:
mottle-cheeked tyrannulet (en); borboletinha-do-mato (pt); tyranneau ventru (fr); orejerito oliváceo (es); olivgelb-laubtyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This South American species is found in two disjunct populations. One population occurs in south-eastern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and marginally into north-eastern Argentina, the other in found along the eastern slopes of the Andes, from northern Argentina to northern Peru.

Size:
These birds are 12 cm long and weigh 8 g.

Habitat:
The mottle-cheeked tyrannulet is mostly found in moist, tropical mountain forests, but also in tropical moist forest at lower altitudes and temperate forests. They are present at altitudes of 1.000-2.300 m.

Diet:
They feed on various insects and possibly also other small invertebrates.

Breeding:
Mottle-cheeked tyrannulets nest in a closed pouch-like nest with a circular entrance. There the female lays 3 eggs which are incubated for 18 days. There is no information regarding the length of the fledgling period.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Great crested flycatcher

Myiarchus crinitus

Photo by Frode Jacobsen (Flickr)

Common name:
great crested flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-grande-de-crista (pt); tyran huppé (fr); copetón viajero (es); gelbbauch-schopftyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species breeds in the eastern United States and in south-eastern Canada. They migrate south to winter from southern Mexico to northern Colombia and western Venezuela. Some also winter in southern Florida and Cuba.

Size:
These birds are 17-21 cm long and have a wingspan of 34 cm. They weigh 27-40 g.

Habitat:
The great crested flycatcher breeds in open deciduous woodlands, old orchards, pastures, riparian corridors, wooded swamps and urban parks with large shade trees.They winter in both moist and dry tropical forests, as well as pastures, swamps and urban parks. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.400 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on flying insects and other invertebrates, but will also take some fruits and berries.

Breeding:
Great crested flycatchers breed in May-July. They are monogamous and in some cases pairs breed together for several years. The nest in natural cavities, which they line with
leaves, hair, feathers, rootlets, string, trash, small twigs, bark, paper, and shed snakeskin. They also use nest boxes. The female lays 4-8 buffy eggs with brown or purple streaks. The female incubates the eggs alone for 13-15 days. The chicks fledge 13-15 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the population is estimated at 7,5 million individuals. The population tren has been stable over the last 4 decades.

Alder flycatcher

Empidonax alnorum

Photo by Simon Barrette (Wikipedia)

Common name:
alder flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-dos-amieiros (pt); moucherolle des aulnes (fr); mosquero alisero (es); erlenschnäppertyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found breedin in northern North America, from Alaska, through most of Canada and into the north-eastern United States as far south as North Carolina and Tennessee. They migrate south to winter from western Venezuela, through Colombia and Ecuador and into Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina, always remaining east of the Andes mountain range.

Size:
These birds are 13-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 21-24 cm. They weigh 12-14 g.

Habitat:
The alder flycatcher breeds around marshes, swamps and other scrub-dominated wetlands, especially in areas with alders and willows. They winter in tropical moist forests and scrublands. This species is present from sea level up to an altitude of 1.300 m.

Diet:
They feed mostly on insects, but will also take some fruits, berries and seeds, especially during winter.

Breeding:
Alder flycatchers are monogamous and nest in a coarse cup made of bark, weeds, stems and grass, and lined with plant down or other soft materials. The nest is placed in a scrub or tree, up to 1,5 m above the ground. The female lays 3-4 creamy-white or buff eggs with dark markings, which she incubates alone for 12-14 days. The chicks fledge 13-14 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 49 million individuals. The population has had a stable trend over the last 4 decades.

Northern scrub-flycatcher

Sublegatus arenarum

Photo by Patrick Ingremeau (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
northern scrub-flycatcher (en); guaracava-nortenha (pt); tyranneau des palétuviers (fr); mosquero matorralero norteño (es); nördlicher strauchtyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found from Costa Rica to northern Colombia, Venezuela and the Guyanas.

Size:
These birds are 13-15 cm long and weigh around 14 g.

Habitat:
The northern scrub-flycatcher is found in tropical dry scrublands and forests, and also in mangroves, from sea level up to an altitude of 600 m.

Diet:
They mostly feed on insects which they catch on the wing, or sometimes glean from the vegetation. They also take some fruits.

Breeding:
They nest in a shallow cup made of rootlets, tendrils and dry leaves, placed in a fork in a tree 2-10 m above the ground. The female lays 2 white eggs with brown or lilac spots, which she incubates alone for 14-15 days while being fed by the male. The chicks fledge 15 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as uncommon. The population trend is difficult to determine, as forest clearance may benefit populations occupying secondary growth and dry woodland, but threatens populations in mangroves.

Yellow-bellied elaenia

Elaenia flavogaster

Photo by Dario Sanches (Photoree)

Common name:
yellow-bellied elaenia (en); guaracava-de-barriga-amarela (pt); élénie à ventre jaune (fr); fiofío copetón (es); gelbbauch-olivtyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Mexico down to Bolivia, northern Argentina and south-eastern Brazil. West of the Andes it is only found as far south as Ecuador, and this species is mostly absent from the upper Amazon basin.

Size:
These birds are 15-16,5 cm long and weigh 20-25 g.

Habitat:
The yellow-bellied elaenia is found in secondary forests, dry savannas, scrublands, riparian woodlands and also in gardens, shade coffee plantations and urban parks. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.500 m.

Diet:
They catch insects by sallying out from a perch, or picking them from the foliage, taking ants, beetles, bugs and termite alates. They will also eat fruits, berries and seeds.

Breeding:
In Brazil, yellow-bellied elaenias breed in July-November, but the breeding season varies between different areas. The nest is a shallow cup made of of moss, fine rootlets, grasses and plant fibres, and lined with feathers. It is placed in a fork in a small branch, up to 18 m above the ground. There the female lays 2 cream-coloured eggs with reddish blotches, which she incubates alone for 16-17 days. The chicks fledge 15-17 days after hatching. Each pair raises 2 broods per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population estimated at 5-50 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Yellow-olive flatbill

Tolmomyias sulphurescens

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:
yellow-olive flatbill (en); bico-chato-de-orelha-preta (pt); platyrhynque jaune-olive (fr); picoplano sulfuroso (es); olivscheitel-breitschnabeltyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Mexico down to Bolivia, south-eastern Brazil and northern Argentina. West of the Andes range they are only found in western Colombia and western Ecuador.

Size:
These birds are 12,5-14 cm long and weigh 14-15 g.

Habitat:
The yellow-olive flatbill is found in dry savannas and forests, moist tropical forests, along rivers and streams, second growths and plantations. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.100 m.

Diet:
They typically forage by sallying out from a perch to catch insects in flight or from foliage, taking bees, ants and bugs. They also eat berries.

Breeding:
Yellow-olive flatbills breed in April-January. The nest is a hanging ball with a side entrance, made of fungal rhizomorphs and rootlets, placed hanging from a tree branch 1,5-11 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-4 white or cream-coloured eggs, sometimes with small cinnamon spots, which she mostly incubates for about 17-20 days. The chicks fledge 22-24 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 5-50 million individuals. The yellow-olive flatbill is tolerant of converted habitats and its population is thus suspected to be stable.

Streaked flycatcher

Myiodynastes maculatus

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:
streaked flycatcher (en); bem-te-vi-rajado (pt); tyran audacieux (fr); bienteveo rayado (es); südlicher fleckenmaskentyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found from southern Mexico down to central Argentina, only east of the Andes.

Size:
These birds are 20,5-23 cm long and weigh 37-50 g.

Habitat:
The streaked flycatcher is found in moist evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, swamp forests, mangroves, savannas and second growths, from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
They are mainly insectivorous, taking grasshoppers, bugs, caterpillars, beetles, cicadas, wasps, flying ants, but also eat small lizards, berries and fruits.

Breeding:
Streaked flycatchers breed in March-January. The nest is a rounded structure made of dry leaves and flowers, grasses and twigs, which can be placed in natural tree hollows, old woodpecker cavities, at the base of leaf stems of palms, in masses of bromeliads growing on tree trunks or under the eaves of roofs of houses. There the female lays 2-3 white or creamy-white eggs with reddish-brown or lilac spots. The female incubates the eggs alone for 15-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 18-21 days after hatching, only becoming fully independent 1-2 weeks later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 5-50 million individuals. This species tolerates some forest degradation and its population is suspected to be stable.

Pacific-slope flycatcher

Empidonax difficilis

Photo by Anay Tarnekar (Flickr)

Common name:
Pacific-slope flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-do-Pacífico (pt); moucherolle côtier (fr); mosquero del Pacífico (es); feuchtwald-schnäppertyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species breeds along the Pacific coast of North America, from south-eastern Alaska down to Baja California. They migrate south to winter in southern and western Mexico.

Size:
These birds are 14-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 20-23 cm. They weigh 8-12 g.

Habitat:
The Pacific-slope flycatcher breeds in humid coniferous forest, pine-oak forest, and dense second-growth woodland, namely in stands of Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii, western hemlock Tsuga heterophylla, sugar pine Pinus lambertiana, incense cedar Calocedrus decurrens and red cedar Thuja plicata. They can also be found in along rivers and streams. They are present at altitudes of 1.500-3.500 m.

Diet:
They feed on insects and other arthropods caught on the wing or picked from foliage, namely bees, moths, spiders and flies.

Breeding:
These birds breed in April-July. They are mostly monogamous but some males may mate with 2 females. The female builds the nest, a cup made of moss, grass, rootlets, strips of bark, lichens, and leaves, lined with finer material such as plant fibres, hairs and feathers. It can be placed in a fork in a tree, in a cleft of a vertical bank, on a stump, among the upturned roots of a fallen tree, under a small bridge, or on shed rafter, usually near the ground but sometimes up to 4 m above the ground. The female lays 3-5 whitish eggs with brown blotches, which she incubates alone for 13-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-18 days after hatching. Each pair may hatch several broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 8,3 million individuals. The population is stable or decreasing at a very slow rate.

Vermilion flycatcher

Pyrocephalus rubinus

Photo by Pablo Leautaud (Flickr)

Common name:
vermilion flycatcher (en); príncipe (pt); moucherolle vermillon (fr); mosquerito rojo (es); rubintyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
These birds are found in the south-western United States, through most of Mexico and Central America and into South America as far south as central Argentina. Some of the more northern population migrate south to winter in the Amazon basin and south-eastern Brazil, where the species is mostly absent as a breeding bird.

Size:
The vermilion flycatcher is 13-15 cm long and have a wingspan of 22-25 cm. They weigh 11-14 g.

Habitat:
These birds are mostly found in open habitats, such as open woodlands and savannas, forest clearings, dry scrublands, agricultural areas, deserts and riparian woodlands. They tend to be found near water, at altitudes ranging from sea level up to 3.000 m.

Diet:
They forage by sallying out from a perch, taking both flying and terrestrial arthropods such as flies, butterflies, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, bees, termites and spiders.

Breeding:
Vermilion flycatchers can breed all year round, varying between different parts of their vast breeding range. They are monogamous and nest in a shallow cup made of twigs, grass, small roots and lichens, held together with spider webs and lined with feathers and hair. The nest is placed in an horizontal fork in a tree, often near water. The female lays 2-4 white, cream or pale brown eggs, which she incubates alone for 13-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 13-18 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 5-50 million individuals. Even though the species may be facing declines in some areas, due to habitat loss, it is not threatened at present.

Black-capped becard

Pachyramphus marginatus

Photo by Antonio Silveira (A Ultima Arca de Noé)

Common name:
black-capped becard (en); caneleiro-bordado (pt); bécarde à calotte noire (fr); anambé capirotado (es); streifenrückenbekarde (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This South American species is found from southern Venezuela and Colombia to Peru, northern Bolivia and central Brazil. There is also a disjunct population along the coast of south-eastern Brazil.

Size:
These birds are 13-15 cm long and weigh around 18 g.

Habitat:
The black-capped becard is found in lowland rainforests, from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.

Diet:
They forage in the upper and mid levels of the forest, eating fruits and insects. They often join mixed-species foraging groups, namely with other becards Pachyramphus sp. and antshrikes Thamnomanes sp.

Breeding:
Black-capped becards breed in September-March. The female lays 2-4 eggs which are incubated for 18-21 days. The chicks fledge 20-22 days after hatching. Each pair raises a single brood per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is believed to be declining due to ongoing deforestation on the Amazon basin.

American dusky flycatcher

Empidonax oberholseri

Photo by Marcel Holyoak (Flickr)

Common name:
American dusky flycatcher (en); papa-moscas-sombrio-americano (pt); moucherolle sombre (fr); mosquero oscuro (es); buschland-schnäppertyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is found breeding in western North America, as far north as southern Yukon, Canada and as far east as South Dakota and Colorado, United States, down to southern California and north-western Mexico. They migrate south to winter in across Mexico and Guatemala.

Size:
These birds are 13-15 cm long and have a wingspan of 20-23 cm. They weigh 9-11 g.

Habitat:
The American dusky flycatcher breeds in temperate forests and scrublands, including coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. During winter they are found in tropical and sub-tropical dry forests and scrublands. They are present at altitudes of 650-3.000 m.

Diet:
Like most flycatchers, they mainly hunt flying insects by sitting on a perch and sallying out to catch the prey on the wing. They are known to take wasps, bees, grasshoppers, damselflies, moths, butterflies and caterpillars.

Breeding:
American dusky flycatchers breed in May-August. The nest is a cup made of grasses, weeds and shreds of bark, lined with plant down, feathers, animal hair, and other soft materials. It is placed is a vertical fork in a scrub or small tree, 1-5 m above the ground. The female lays 2-4 white eggs, rarely with brownish flecks, which she incubates alone for 15-16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-20 days after hatching, but continue to be fed by the parents for another 3 weeks. Each pair raises a single clutch per year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and in Canada de population was estimated at 0,5-5 million individulas. The global population had a stable trend over the last 4 decades so this species is not considered threatened.

Southern bentbill

Oncostoma olivaceum

Photo by Dominic Sherony (Wikipedia)

Common name:
southern bentbill (en); bico-curvo-do-sul (pt); bec-en-arc de Lawrence (fr); mosquerito piquicurvo sureño (es); gelbkehl-krummschnabeltyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
The southern bentbill is found in north-western Colombia and southern Panama.

Size:
These birds are 9-10 cm long and weigh 7-8 g.

Habitat:
The southern bentbill is mostly found in moist tropical forests, but also in moist scrublands and second growths. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 1.000 m.

Diet:
They are mainly insectivorous, catching insects in flight or collecting them from the branches of trees. they also eat fruits, especially in winter.

Breeding:
The southern bentbill nests in a tinny cup made of weeds and grasses, placed in a branch of a small tree or scrub in the forest undergrowth, 3-5 m above the ground. There the female lays 2 white eggs with brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 19-20 days. 

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as fairly common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Velvety black-tyrant

Knipolegus nigerrimus

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:
velvety black-tyrant (en); maria-preta-de-garganta-vermelha (pt); ada noir (fr); viudita aterciopelada (es); kurzschopf-dunkeltyrann (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae

Range:
This species is endemic to Brazil, being found in the eastern and south-eastern parts of the country in the states of Pernambuco and Bahia, and from Minas Gerais south to Rio Grande do Sul.

Size:
These birds are 18 cm long and weigh 25-35 g.

Habitat:
The velvety black-tyrant is found tropical dry grasslands, dry forests, rocky areas and scrublands. They are present at altitudes of 700-2.700 m.

Diet:
They feed on various fruits and insects.

Breeding:
Velvety black-tyrants breed in October-January. The nest is a cup made of roots and moss, with no lining other then a few feathers. The nest is placed over a rock or in a rocky crevice, 2-10 m above the ground. The female lays 3 white eggs with a few brown spots, which she incubates alone while the male stands guard near the nest. The chicks are fed by both parents. There is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as uncommon. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.