The Piura chat-tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is endemic to Peru.
Region
Andes Mountains (northern Peru)
Typical Environment
Occurs on the humid west slope of the Andes in northern Peru, in remnant cloud forests, elfin woodland, and dense shrubby edges. It favors ecotones such as forest margins, ravines, and second-growth thickets adjacent to mature montane forest. Birds often use low to mid-level perches within mossy vegetation and bamboo or Chusquea patches. The range is localized and fragmented, with strong association to moist microhabitats within an otherwise drier broader landscape.
Altitude Range
2000–3200 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small tyrant flycatcher restricted to the western Andean slopes of northern Peru, especially around the Piura–Cajamarca region. It keeps to mossy forest edges and thickets, sallying out to catch insects before returning to a low perch. The species has been treated in Ochthoeca but is now widely placed in Silvicultrix. Ongoing habitat loss in its tiny range has raised conservation concerns.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick sallies from low to mid-level perches
Social Behavior
Typically encountered singly or in pairs, especially during the breeding season. Pairs defend small territories along forest edges and ravines. The nest is a small cup placed in dense vegetation, banks, or tangles, and both adults attend young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Delivers a thin, high-pitched series of chips and short trills, often from a concealed perch. Also gives sharp scolding calls when disturbed, with brief, chatty phrases typical of chat-tyrants.
