The Andean negrito is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs along high Andean plateaus and valleys of Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile, and northwestern Argentina. It favors the margins of shallow lakes, saline lagoons, and wet puna grasslands with cushion bogs. Birds perch on stones, low posts, or clumps of grass near open water and muddy shorelines. It tolerates cold, windy conditions and thin air typical of the Altiplano. Local movements may track water availability and insect abundance.
Altitude Range
3000–4700 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Andean negrito is a high-altitude flycatcher that frequents windswept shorelines of Andean lakes and bofedales (cushion bogs). Males are strikingly dark with a rufous back patch that flashes in flight, while females are cryptic brown. It often forages by making short sallies from low rocks or sedge tussocks, picking insects from the air or water’s edge. Some populations make local altitudinal movements as conditions change seasonally.
Temperament
alert and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, bounding flights; occasional brief hovering when sallying
Social Behavior
Often seen singly or in pairs during the breeding season; small loose groups may form around rich feeding spots. Nests are placed low in grasses or bog vegetation near water. Likely monogamous, with the male displaying from prominent low perches. Territorial behavior increases during breeding.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are thin, high-pitched chips and short twittering phrases. Males give simple trills and sharp calls from exposed perches, especially at dawn and dusk.
Plumage
Strongly dimorphic. Male mostly black with a contrasting rufous lower back/upper tail coverts; glossy to sooty texture. Female is brown to buffy-brown with paler underparts and subtle streaking, often showing a faint pale eyebrow.
Diet
Primarily takes small flying and aquatic insects such as midges, flies, and beetles, along with their larvae. Forages by flycatching from low perches, making quick sallies over water or shorelines. Will also glean prey from vegetation and wet mud. Feeding intensity often increases when insect swarms emerge over lakes and bogs.
Preferred Environment
Shorelines of high-elevation lakes, saline pans, and cushion bogs with scattered stones or posts for perching. Frequently works the water’s edge, gravel bars, and sedge tussocks where insects concentrate.
