From Opus

Photo by John Baines
Tilahari Hotel grounds, Arenal Volcano area, Costa Rica

Alternative name: Vermilion-crowned Flycatcher

Myiozetetes similis

[edit] Identification

16cm (6.25"). Medium sized. Short black bill. Olive above; wing coverts and inner remiges edged grayish white to buffy white; center crown brownish gray (little contrast with olive back). The semi-concealed crown patch is vermilion, as suggested by its second common name; Vermilion-crowned Flycatcher (note that this field mark can just be seen on the photo right). The long white eyebrow does not meet on nape. Sides of head dusky-blackish; throat white, rest of underparts bright yellow.
Immature: No crown patch, and wings and tail narrowly edged rufous.

[edit] Similar Species

Similar to the Rusty-margined Flycatcher, but with less rufous in the wings (careful; imm. Social with rufous edging), olive (less brown) back, duller mask, reddish-orange (not yellow-orange) crown patch and different voice.
Other superficially similar flycatchers have longer bill, yellow throat, white eye-brow meeting on nape or greyer head.

[edit] Distribution

Central and South America
North-western Mexico to North-western Peru, North-eastern Argentina and Southern Brazil. Locally up to an altitude of 1500 m (4900 ft). Generally common.
Accidental vagrant to the United States with 1 record at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in Texas.

[edit] Taxonomy

Photo by njlarsen
Chichén Itza, Yucatan, Mexico, May 2012

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• M. s. primulus:

• Western Mexico (southern Sonora to northern Sinaloa)

• M. s. primulus hesperis:

• Western Mexico (southern Sinaloa to southern Zacatecas, south-western Puebla and Oaxaca)

• M. s. primulus texensis :

• Eastern Mexico (southern Tamaulipas) to northern Costa Rica

• M. s. primulus columbianus:

• Tropical south-western Costa Rica to northern Colombia and northern Venezuela

• M. s. primulus similis:

• Eastern Colombia to northern Bolivia, Venezuela and northern Amazonian Brazil

• M. s. primulus grandis:

• Western Ecuador (Esmeraldas) to extreme north-western Peru (Tumbes)

• M. s. primulus pallidiventris:

• Eastern Brazil (Pará) to eastern Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina

[edit] Habitat

River banks, ponds, gardens, pastures and clearings with scattered trees. Often in urban areas.

[edit] Behaviour

Often in small groups.

[edit] Diet

Hawks insects in the air or darts out to snatch them from shrubs, bushes and vegetaion. Also eats seeds, berries and small fruit; will also catch tadpoles in shallow water.

[edit] Vocalisation

Calls: sharp, harsh teeer or peeeeur, or a sad pe-ah or chee; also a repeated scolding wheer, a chipping wit, and a series of chu notes. Some variation in voice depending on subspecies.

[edit] Breeding

Nest is a rather large structure with side entrance.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.

• List of references

[edit] External Links

• A thread discussing identification is here. [[1]]