The whiskered myiobius or bearded flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Onychorhynchidae, having previously been included in Tyrannidae and Tityridae. Some taxonomic authorities continue to place them with the flycatchers or tityras. The whiskered myiobius is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest.
Region
Amazon Basin and Guiana Shield
Typical Environment
Occurs in northern Amazonia across Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. It favors subtropical and tropical moist lowland forest, especially mature terra firme and seasonally flooded varzea. The species also uses forest edges, gallery forest, and secondary growth, and can persist in heavily degraded former forest where some understory cover remains. Most records are from the shaded understory and midstory, often near streams or clearings.
Altitude Range
0–1000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the bearded flycatcher, this small Neotropical bird is named for the prominent whisker-like rictal bristles around its bill. It has had a complex taxonomic history and is currently placed by many authorities in Onychorhynchidae, though some still keep it among the tyrant flycatchers. It typically keeps to the shaded understory and edges of humid lowland forests, where it hunts quietly from low perches.
Temperament
quiet and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick sallies from low perches
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs in the breeding season; occasionally joins mixed-species understory flocks while foraging. Likely monogamous, nesting low to mid-level in dense vegetation. As with related taxa, it is believed to build elongated, pendant nests suspended over water or well-concealed sites, and the clutch is small.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are soft and thin, consisting of high, sibilant notes and brief trills delivered infrequently. Calls are subtle contact notes used while foraging in dense cover. The song can be easily overlooked amid louder forest birds.
