The Atlantic royal flycatcher is a passerine bird that most taxonomic systems place in the Onychorhynchidae family. It is endemic to Brazil.
Region
Atlantic Forest, eastern Brazil
Typical Environment
Occurs in humid evergreen and semi-deciduous Atlantic Forest, favoring well-preserved primary forest and mature secondary growth. It is closely associated with riparian corridors and shaded stream valleys. Birds forage from the lower understory to midstory, often along edges of clearings inside forest. It is patchy but locally present where forest structure remains intact.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 900 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This Atlantic Forest specialist is famed for its spectacular fan-shaped crest, which the male flashes in courtship and agitation; the crest is rarely seen when the bird is at rest. Most authorities place it in the family Onychorhynchidae. It builds an exceptionally long, hanging nest suspended over streams, a strategy thought to reduce predation.
Displaying partially opened crest at Tapiraí, São Paulo state, Brazil
Temperament
quiet and inconspicuous
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief sallies
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs within dense forest. Nests are long, pendulous structures suspended over running water, with both parents participating in care. Territorial displays include fanning the crest and tail flicks, though much of the day is spent motionless while foraging.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft series of thin, high-pitched whistles, often given from low perches near streams. Calls include brief peet or seee notes, delivered intermittently and easily overlooked in flowing-water noise.
Plumage
Warm brown-olive upperparts with rufous wings and tail; underparts buffy to pale cinnamon with subtle streaking on the throat and breast. Texture is smooth with little gloss, appearing soft in the understory shade.
Diet
Primarily small arthropods, including flies, beetles, caterpillars, and spiders. It employs sally-gleaning, making short flights to pluck prey from foliage or snatching items from the air at close range. Occasionally probes dead leaves and suspended debris along streams. Large prey is subdued by tapping against a branch.
Preferred Environment
Forages in shaded understory and midstory along forested streams and within vine tangles. Often keeps to interior forest but may work edges of small clearings and trails where insect activity concentrates.
