Bird GuideTyrant FlycatchersTufted Flycatcher
Tufted Flycatcher
Mitrephanes phaeocercus

At a Glance

This small flycatcher of mountain pine forests is common from northern Mexico to northwestern South America. The first record north of the Mexican border was in Big Bend National Park, Texas, in 1991. Since then it has been found several times in western and southern Texas and in the mountains of southeastern Arizona. In canyons of the Huachuca Mountains, Arizona, pairs have been present for whole summers, and they have nested there more than once.
Conservation
Low Concern
Habitat
Arroyos and Canyons, Forests and Woodlands
Behavior
Flitter, Hovering

Range & Identification

Description

5" (13 cm). A small, colorful flycatcher with a perky crest. Olive-brown above, warm cinnamon-brown on the face and underparts. Two narrow wing-bars, sometimes faint. Buff-breasted Flycatcher is paler, lacks crest, and usually has more obvious wing-bars.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow
Color
Brown, Olive, Orange, Reddish Brown, Tan, Yellow
Wing Shape
Rounded, Short
Tail Shape
Notched, Square-tipped

Songs and Calls

Call is a harsh, buzzy cheWEE cheWEE.
Call Type
Buzz, Trill

Climate Vulnerability

Conservation Status