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.
