TYRANT FLYCATCHERS   -   TYRANNIDAE   -   PART II

Black-crested Tit-Tyrant Anairetes nigrocristatus Utuana reserve, Loja province, Ecuador. This species is almost endemic to Peru, barely reaching southern Ecuador in the Utuana area, where this photo was taken. (S7)

Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant Anairetes alpinus alpinus Abra Malaga, Cuzco department, Peru. A very local and endangered species found only in very high elevation Polylepis woodland in Peru and Bolivia. This photo was taken at 4370 m. (14330 ft.) above sea level in the private reserve at Abra Malaga, which is one of the best places to see this species. (S6)

Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant Anairetes flavirostris flavirostris Yavi, Jujuy province, Argentina. This subspecies has a unique migration, breeding in the high Andes of Argentina and Bolivia, and wintering in the low plains to the east of the mountains. (S6)

Tufted Tit-Tyrant Anairetes parulus aequatorialis La Cuesta del Obispo, Salta province, Argentina. The most widespread of the tit-tyrants, found from Colombia to Tierra del Fuego. (S5)

Agile Tit-Tyrant Anairetes agilis Papallacta, Napo province, Ecuador. Inhabits high elevation forest in the Andes from Venezuela to Ecuador. It's almost always found in or near Chusquea bamboo patches. (S5)

Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant Anairetes agraphia agraphia Abra Malaga-Quillabamba Road, Cuzco department, Peru. Endemic to Peru. It's the sister species of the Agile Tit-Tyrant (above), which it replaces to the south. Like that species, it is found in high elevation Andean forests with Chusquea bamboo. (S6)

Torrent Tyrannulet Serpophaga cinerea cinerea Laguna de San Pablo, Otavalo, Imbabura province, Ecuador. As its name suggests, this bird is usually found around rushing mountain streams. Smaller numbers also occur around highland lakes; this shot is a good example. (S7)

Sooty Tyrannulet Serpophaga nigricans Serra da Canastra National Park, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. (D3)

White-bellied Tyrannulet Serpophaga munda Cafayate, Salta province, Argentina. This species is lumped by some with White-crested Tyrannulet S. subcristata since their vocalizations seem to be identical. (S6)

Straneck's Tyrannulet Serpophaga griseicapilla Dique Florentino Ameghino, Chubut province, Argentina. This species was known about for many years, but due to some confusion, mislabeled specimens, and some naming problems, it was not "officially" accepted as a real species until quite recently. See SACC proposal 419 for more info. This individual is fairly washed out, normally they look a little more yellow on the underparts and wingpars, but it does have the feature of showing very little white in the crest. It was also calling. Thanks to Mark Pearman for confirming the ID. (S6)

Mouse-colored Tyrannulet Phaeomyias murina murina Canudos, Bahia state, Brazil. This species can sometimes be confusing. Look for the long, slender shape combined with brown plumage, two pale wingbars that often appear tan, and the pale superciliary. (S6)

Mouse-colored Tyrannulet Phaeomyias murina incomta Tulquizán, Carchi province, Ecuador. Ridgely and Greenfield (2001) incorrectly identified the birds in dry valleys of extreme northern Ecuador as tumbezana (see below). Now that vocalizations are better known, it is clear that these birds belong to the "murina" group, presumably the subspecies incompta that is found throughout Colombia. (S8)

Mouse-colored (Tumbesian) Tyrannulet Phaeomyias murina tumbezana El Tambo, Santa Elena province, Ecuador. Ridgely and Greenfield (2001) treated the three races in SW Ecuador and NW Peru as a distinct species (Tumbesian Tyrannulet, P. tumbezana) based mainly on vocalizations. That might be the best course, but there has never been a systematic study of the species. (S8)

Yellow Tyrannulet Capsiempis flaveola flaveola Reserva Ecolgica de Guapi Assu, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. A fairly common bird over much of tropical Central and South America. It is often found in bamboo patches, but it is not restricted to them. This individual was in secondary scrub with no bamboo next to a swamp. (S6)

Bearded Tachuri Polystictus pectoralis brevipennis Karanambu Ranch, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region, Guyana. Female. It specializes in savannas with tall grass, though they seem to be thinly spread even in the best habitat. (D3)

Gray-backed Tachuri Polystictus superciliaris Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Here's a cute little bird endemic to the savannas of interior Southeast Brazil. Cipó and Canastra are the best places I know to find it. (S5)

Subtropical Doradito Pseudocolopteryx acutipennis Laguna de San Pablo, Otavalo, Imbabura province, Ecuador. Primarily found in reedbeds around Andean lakes, but I have seen it on one occasion in montane scrub a long way from any lake. It is migratory in the southern part of its range, where it moves out into adjacent lowlands in winter. (S7)

Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant Pseudotriccus pelzelni annectens Milpe Bird Sanctuary, Pichincha province, Ecuador. A scarce inhabitant of cloudforest understory from E Panama to S Peru. You can often locate it from the sharp snapping sound it makes with its wings. (S8)

Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant Pseudotriccus ruficeps Upper Tandayapa Valley, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Adult. (S8)

Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant Pseudotriccus ruficeps Yanacocha reserve, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Juvenile, lacking the rufous head of the adult. (S6)

Southern Antpipit Corythopis delalandi Serra da Canastra NP, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. This odd terrestrial flycatcher was formerly thought to be an antbird. It is found in southeastern South America, usually in drier forest, but it does range locally into younger rainforest. It's the sister species of the similar Ringed Antpipit C. torquatus (below), which has a mainly Amazonian distribution and a different song. (S6)

Ringed Antpipit Corythopis torquatus anthoides Mitú, Vaupués department, Colombia. The grayish tone of the face and forecrown suggest that this individual is of race anthoides, which is not mentioned for Colombia on either the Clements list or IBC. Also see comments for above species. (S6)

Tawny-crowned Pygmy-Tyrant Euscarthmus meloryphus fulviceps El Tambo, Santa Elena province, Ecuador. (S8)

Rufous-sided Pygmy-Tyrant Euscarthmus rufomarginatus Mugugê, Bahia state, Brazil. Range maps make it look like this species has a large range, mainly in the cerrado of Brazil, but is very local and known only from relatively few sites. (S6)

Gray-and-white Tyrannulet Pseudelaenia leucospodia Chaparrí Reserve, Lambayeque department, Peru. An odd monotypic genus restricted to arid and usually sparsely vegetated areas of southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru. It's genus name refers to the fact that it is superficially very similar to the elaenias. (S6)

Greater Wagtail-Tyrant Stigmatura budytoides gracilis Canudos-Jeremoaba road, Bahia state, Brazil. Very similar to the sympatric race bahiae of Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant (S. napensis). I identified this as S. budytoides based on the gray crown, clear yellow underparts, and solid white wing coverts. (D3)

Paltry Tyrannulet Zimmerius vilissimus parvus La Selva OTS, Heredia province, Costa Rica. Such a derogatory name for a bird! The English name is pretty much a synonym of the latin name, which means "worthless" (Jobling 1991). What did Philip Sclater and Osbert Salvin, who described this species in 1859, have against it? (S6)

Choco Tyrannulet Zimmerius albigularis Río Silanche Bird Sanctuary, Pichincha province, Ecuador. A fairly recent split from Golden-faced Tyrannulet Z. chrysops. (S8)

Golden-faced Tyrannulet Zimmerius chrysops chrysops Old Loja-Zamora Highway, Zamora-Chinchipe province, Ecuador. (S5)

Red-billed Tyrannulet Zimmerius cinereicapilla Afluente, San Martín department, Peru. A rather scarce and local flycatcher of east Andean foothills of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. The red bill can be hard to see in the field since you are often looking up on the bird in badly backlit conditions. (D2)

Slender-footed Tyrannulet(?) Zimmerius gracilipes(?) Serra de Baturité, Ceará state, Brazil. The taxonomy of this group is in a state of flux. Some references mention that the recently split taxon acer is the one that occurs here, but see the comments by Frank Rheindt http://www.xeno-canto.org/features.php?blognr=6&action=view that suggest that this is not true, or that both taxa could occur here together. Ciro Albano's article on NE Brazil in Neotropical Birding 6 mentions that "almost certainly a cryptic new taxon is involved". I will leave this as Slender-footed until I have more infomation to go by. This bird was silent, so voice was not an ID clue. (S6)

Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant Phylloscartes ophthalmicus ophthalmicus Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Pichincha province, Ecuador. (S8)

Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant Phylloscartes lanyoni Gruta del Condor, Doradal, Antioquia department, Colombia. This species is a very localized endemic to NW Colombia. It was only described in 1988. (S6)

Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet Phylloscartes ventralis ventralis Vale das Taquaras, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. (S5)

Restinga Tyrannulet Phylloscartes kronei Ilha Comprida, São Paulo state, Brazil. Described only in 1992, this Brazilian endemic inhabits a narrow strip of coastal scrub from southern São Paulo to Paraná. (D2)

Ecuadorian Tyrannulet Phylloscartes gualaquizae Old Loja-Zamora Highway, Zamora-Chinchipe province, Ecuador. A restricted-ranged species almost endemic to Ecuador, but it is also found locally in northern Peru. (S5)

Alagoas Tyrannulet Phylloscartes ceciliae RPPN Frei Caneca, Pernambuco state, Brazil. A seriously endangered species found only in northeastern Brazil, with a population estimated at less than 1000 individuals (http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=4203). (S6)

Minas Gerais Tyrannulet Phylloscartes roquettei Corrego dos Ovos, 16 km ESE of Pirapora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. An endangered species restricted to dry woodland of east-central Brail. (S5f)		Minas Gerais Tyrannulet Phylloscartes roquettei Corrego dos Ovos, 16 km ESE of Pirapora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. (S5f)

São Paulo Tyrannulet Phylloscartes paulista Intervales State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil. A scarce Atlantic Rainforest endemic found in southeastern Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina. (S6)

Oustalet's Tyrannulet Phylloscartes oustaleti Intervales State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil. An Atlantic Rainforest endemic, usually quite scarce. They follow mixed species flocks, and often can be immediately recognized by their constant tail quivering. (S7)

Serra do Mar Tyrannulet Phylloscartes difficilis Pico da Caledônia, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. Yet another distinctive Phylloscartes tyrannulet from the Atlantic Rainforest. This one is endemic to Brazil, only occuring in cool, wet forests above around 1500 m. elevation. (S7)

Olive-striped Flycatcher Mionectes olivaceus hederaceus San Francisco, Esmeraldas province, Ecuador. (S8)

Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus pacificus Río Silanche Bird Sanctuary, Pichincha province, Ecuador. A rather widespread but inconspicuous bird of rainforest understory. It can be found all the way from Mexico to SE Brazil. (S8)

Gray-hooded Flycatcher Mionectes rufiventris Intervales State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil. A common resident of the Atlantic Forest. (S7)

Sepia-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon amaurocephalus amaurocephalus Iguazú National Park, Misiones province, Argentina. A widespread Neotropical rainforest species, found from Mexico to northern Argentina. (S6)

Slaty-capped Flycatcher Leptopogon superciliaris superciliaris Tandayapa Bird Lodge, Pichincha province, Ecuador. A common cloudforest species from Costa Rica to Bolivia. They never used to be at Tandayapa when I first birded there in 2000, but they seem to have moved up slope over the last few years and are now pretty common. (S8)

Southern Scrub-Flycatcher Sublegatus modestus brevirostris c.18 km northeast of JV Gonzales, Salta province, Argentina. One of the many "look-alike" flycatchers out there! The really stubby bill is one of the best features to separate it from some of the very similar Elaenias. In the field, voice is also a very helpful clue. This is quite a widespread species in (mostly) tropical areas south of the Amazon. (S5)

Southern Scrub-Flycatcher Sublegatus modestus (ssp?) Guagua Sumaco, Napo province, Ecuador. The first photo of this species from Ecuador. It was found by Jonas Nilsson on 11 June 2012, and Scott Olmstead and I relocated it three days later and managed to get a few photos. This species is an austral migrant in most of its range, breeding in southern South America and moving north in the austral winter. They regularly reach southern Peru, so this bird was probably an "overshoot". (S7)

Plain Tyrannulet Inezia inornata Pousada Piuval, Pantanal, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. (S6)

Amazonian Tyrannulet Inezia subflava obscura Mitú, Vaupés department, Colombia. A water-lover; it is typically found at the edges of flooded areas or on small, scrubby islands. (S6)

Ornate Flycatcher Myiotriccus ornatus stellatus La Unión, Pichincha province, Ecuador. A unique tyrannid found in cloudforest throughout the northern Andes. (S7)