The drab water tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Region
Amazon Basin and Guianas
Typical Environment
Occurs widely along major lowland rivers and their tributaries, especially in the Amazon and Orinoco drainages. It favors open, dynamic riparian habitats such as sandy and gravelly riverbanks, boulder-strewn rapids, river islands, and oxbow lake margins. The species often perches on exposed rocks, logs, and driftwood, and forages along bare shorelines with sparse shrubby growth. It generally avoids the closed forest interior but uses forested edges and clearings adjacent to water.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A member of the tyrant flycatcher family, the drab water tyrant is the sole species in the genus Ochthornis. Its scientific epithet, littoralis, refers to shorelines, reflecting its strong association with river edges and sandbars. It frequently wags its tail and makes short sallies over water to snatch insects, often perching on rocks and driftwood along turbulent rivers.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct flights over water
Social Behavior
Usually found singly or in pairs patrolling short stretches of shoreline. Pairs maintain linear territories along river margins and often return to favored perches on rocks or logs. Nests are typically placed low, concealed among rocks, banks, or roots near water; both adults participate in care of the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are thin, high-pitched chips and short, buzzy trills. Calls are modest in volume but carry over open water, often delivered from exposed perches.
Plumage
Plain, drab brown to brownish-gray above with paler, buffy underparts and a whitish throat; wings and tail slightly darker, lacking strong wingbars. Subtle contrast between upperparts and underparts gives a washed, uniform look.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small flying insects and aquatic-emerging insects, including midges, flies, and mayflies. It sallies from low perches to snatch prey in midair and also gleans from rocks, sand, and driftwood along the water’s edge. Occasional short ground pursuits occur on exposed sandbars and gravel banks.
Preferred Environment
Forages at the margins of fast-flowing rivers, rapids, and on river islands where open substrates are exposed. Frequently uses prominent low perches such as rocks and logs for aerial sallies and scans for emerging insects above riffles.
