The Venezuelan flycatcher is a passerine bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers.. It is found in Colombia, Venezuela, and on Tobago.
Region
Northern South America and the southern Caribbean
Typical Environment
Occurs in northern Colombia, northern and coastal Venezuela (including nearby islands), and on Tobago. Favors dry to semi-humid deciduous woodland, thorn scrub, mangroves, and second-growth edges. Common along forest borders, riparian gallery strips, ranchland with scattered trees, and gardens with tall perches. Generally avoids dense interior rainforest but readily uses open canopies and clearings.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
A small tyrant flycatcher, the Venezuelan flycatcher is often detected by its sharp, plaintive whistles before it is seen. It is a perch-and-sally hunter that snaps up insects from open branches along forest edges and scrub. Like many Myiarchus flycatchers, it nests in cavities and may incorporate snake skin into the nest lining. It is resident across northern South America and occurs on Tobago but not Trinidad.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick sallying flights from exposed perches
Social Behavior
Typically encountered alone or in pairs, especially during the breeding season. Pairs defend territories and nest in natural cavities or old woodpecker holes, often lining the nest with plant fibers and occasionally snake skin. Courtship involves calling duets and short chases through edge habitat.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Voice is a series of clear, plaintive whistles, often a descending whee-eep or wheet-peeur repeated at intervals. Calls carry well and are given from exposed mid-canopy perches, especially at dawn and late afternoon.
Plumage
Olive-brown upperparts with a gray-tinged head and breast, bright yellow belly, and rufous edgings in wings and tail. Two faint buffy wingbars and a whitish throat are typical. Tail shows warm rufous from below, contrasting with darker central rectrices. Overall appearance is clean and crisp with typical Myiarchus structure: upright posture and relatively long tail.
Diet
Primarily hunts flying insects such as beetles, flies, wasps, and moths, taken in mid-air during short sallies. Also gleans spiders and insects from foliage and branches. Will occasionally consume small berries or other soft fruits, especially in the dry season when insect activity declines.
Preferred Environment
Forages from open perches at forest edges, along riparian strips, in scrubby pastures, and mangrove fringes. Prefers mid- to upper-level perches with clear flight paths for short aerial sallies.
