The buff-cheeked tody-flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is endemic to Brazil.
Region
Western and central Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
This species inhabits lowland Amazonian forests, favoring dense, tangled understory in river-edge woodland, seasonally flooded várzea, young secondary growth, and thickets. It is often associated with vine tangles, bamboo patches, and early successional scrub near waterways. Birds hold small territories along forest edges and inside shaded understory, typically below the midstory. They are most frequently detected by voice rather than seen because of their skulking habits.
Altitude Range
0–600 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A tiny tyrant flycatcher with distinctive buffy cheeks, it keeps to dense understory tangles where it can be surprisingly hard to see. It usually forages low, making short dashes to pluck small insects from leaves and twigs. Pairs often keep soft contact calls as they move through viney thickets. The species builds a small, hanging pouch nest with a side entrance.
Temperament
shy and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats through the understory
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs, sometimes with a dependent juvenile. Pairs maintain contact with soft calls and defend small territories. The nest is a small, hanging purse-like structure with a side entrance, suspended in dense vegetation.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A series of thin, high-pitched notes that accelerate into a short, tinkling trill. Calls include sharp tsip and soft seeps given frequently while foraging.
Plumage
Compact, with olive-green upperparts and yellowish underparts; the cheeks are distinctly buff, contrasting with a grayer crown and face. Wings show faint to moderate pale wingbars and subtle edging on the coverts.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small insects and other arthropods, gleaned from foliage and fine twigs. It often sally-gleans with quick outward hops or short flights to snatch prey. Prey items are typically tiny and taken from the shaded understory where it forages methodically.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense vine tangles, bamboo, and shrubby river-edge growth. It keeps to the lower strata, often within a few meters of the ground, especially along forest margins and in young secondary growth.
