Photo: Cristóbal Alvarado Minic / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Northern Scrub Flycatcher
Sublegatus arenarum
Northern Scrub Flycatcher (Sublegatus arenarum) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Northern Scrub Flycatcher (Sublegatus arenarum) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 12.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Tyrannidae Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura
- Genus Sublegatus
- Species arenarum
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Northern Scrub Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Northern Scrub Flycatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Northern Scrub Flycatcher (Sublegatus arenarum) belongs to the Tyrannidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to the Guianas.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12.3 g, with a wing length of about 7 cm and a tail of around 7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 941,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Northern Scrub Flycatcher?
The Northern Scrub Flycatcher is a very small bird that weighs around 12.3 g.
Where does the Northern Scrub Flycatcher live?
The Northern Scrub Flycatcher is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to the Guianas, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Northern Scrub Flycatcher belong to?
The Northern Scrub Flycatcher (Sublegatus arenarum) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Northern Scrub Flycatcher eat?
The Northern Scrub Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Northern Scrub Flycatcher migrate?
The Northern Scrub Flycatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Northern Scrub Flycatcher endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Northern Scrub Flycatcher make?
1 real field recording of the Northern Scrub Flycatcher — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Northern Scrub Flycatcher's range?
The Northern Scrub Flycatcher has a mapped global range of about 941,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Tyrannidae
A field guide to the Tyrannidae family — 444 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.