The southern scrub flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Other sources also place it in Guyana, Suriname, as a non-breeding visitor to Colombia, and as a vagrant in Ecuador.
Region
South America
Typical Environment
Occurs widely from Bolivia, Paraguay, southern Brazil and Peru south through much of Argentina and into Uruguay, with records also from Guyana and Suriname, and as a non-breeding visitor to Colombia and a vagrant to Ecuador. It favors arid to semi-arid scrub, Chaco woodlands, cerrado edges, and open savannas with scattered shrubs. Common in secondary growth, ranchlands, and brushy field margins, often near watercourses lined with thickets. It adapts well to disturbed landscapes provided low, scrubby cover remains.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A small tyrant flycatcher of open scrub and lightly wooded habitats, it often perches conspicuously before making short sallies to snatch insects. It is notoriously tricky to identify among similar plain tyrannids; voice and habitat are helpful clues. The call is a dry, sharp chip, and the bird frequently flicks its tail while foraging.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief sallies
Social Behavior
Usually seen alone or in pairs, especially during the breeding season. Nest is placed low to mid-level in shrubs or small trees and is a neat cup of grasses and fibers. Both adults participate in territory defense and provisioning of the young.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations include sharp, dry chips and short series of thin, high-pitched whistles. Dawn song is a brief, simple sequence repeated from an exposed perch, often interspersed with pauses.
Plumage
Plain, slightly olive-brown upperparts with a grayish wash to the head; underparts pale yellow to yellowish with a whitish throat and faint grayish breast shading. Wings are dull with little to no contrasting wingbars, sometimes a subtle pale edging forming a weak wing panel. Tail is brownish, sometimes slightly rufescent, and the overall impression is clean and unmarked.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small insects such as beetles, flies, and hemipterans, and will also take spiders. Forages by sally-gleaning from exposed perches, snapping prey on the wing or picking it from foliage. Occasionally consumes small berries during cooler seasons or when insects are scarce.
Preferred Environment
Edge habitats with scattered shrubs, open woodland, and scrubby pastures are favored. Often forages along roadsides, brushy field margins, and riparian thickets where perches are abundant.
