Photo: Amado Demesa from DF, México / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Northern Tufted Flycatcher
Mitrephanes phaeocercus
Northern Tufted Flycatcher (Mitrephanes phaeocercus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Northern Tufted Flycatcher (Mitrephanes phaeocercus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 8.6 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 Mitrephanes
- Species phaeocercus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Northern Tufted Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Northern Tufted Flycatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Northern Tufted Flycatcher (Mitrephanes phaeocercus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA w Mexico to nw Ecuador.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.6 g, with a wing length of about 7 cm and a tail of around 6.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 600,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Northern Tufted Flycatcher?
The Northern Tufted Flycatcher is a very small bird that weighs around 8.6 g.
Where does the Northern Tufted Flycatcher live?
The Northern Tufted Flycatcher is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA w Mexico to nw Ecuador, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Northern Tufted Flycatcher belong to?
The Northern Tufted Flycatcher (Mitrephanes phaeocercus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Northern Tufted Flycatcher eat?
The Northern Tufted Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Northern Tufted Flycatcher migrate?
The Northern Tufted Flycatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Northern Tufted 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 Tufted Flycatcher make?
1 real field recording of the Northern Tufted 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 Tufted Flycatcher's range?
The Northern Tufted Flycatcher has a mapped global range of about 600,000 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.