The rufous mourner is a passerine bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Mexico, every Central American country except El Salvador, Colombia, and Ecuador.
Region
Mesoamerica to the Chocó (NW South America)
Typical Environment
Occurs from southern Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, and south into western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. It inhabits humid lowland and foothill evergreen forests, forest edges, and mature second growth. Birds typically use the shaded midstory and lower canopy, often along streams or in vine-tangled areas. It avoids very open habitats and heavily disturbed landscapes, persisting best in extensive forest tracts.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Despite its name, the rufous mourner is a tyrant flycatcher, not related to New World mourning birds like the cotingas. It spends long periods perched quietly in the forest midstory and gives a soft, plaintive whistle that carries through humid lowland forests. It forages by sallying to catch insects and by gleaning from foliage, helping control forest insect populations.
Temperament
quiet and unobtrusive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief sallies
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs within territories, sometimes accompanying mixed-species foraging flocks. Nests are open cups placed in trees or large shrubs, typically a few meters above ground. Both adults attend the young and defend the immediate nest area discreetly.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, mournful, whistled series of clear notes, often spaced and descending. Calls include gentle, plaintive peeps and whistles delivered from concealed perches.
Plumage
Mostly uniform rufous to cinnamon plumage with slightly duller wings and tail and a softly textured, smooth appearance.
Diet
Feeds primarily on insects such as beetles, orthopterans, and caterpillars, along with spiders and other arthropods. It captures prey by short sallies from perches and by gleaning from leaves and twigs. Small fruits and berries are occasionally taken, especially when insect activity is low.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the shaded midstory and lower canopy of humid forest, along edges, streams, and in mature second growth. Often selects perches with good vantage points for sallying and dense cover for concealment.
