Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant
Ochthoeca fumicolor
Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca fumicolor) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca fumicolor) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 16.6 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 Ochthoeca
- Species fumicolor
Where it lives
Western, northeastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela to central Bolivia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 16.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca fumicolor) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA w, ne Colombia and nw Venezuela to c Bolivia.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 16.6 g, with a wing length of about 8.3 cm and a tail of around 7.5 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 246,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant?
The Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant is a small bird that weighs around 16.6 g.
Where does the Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant live?
The Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant is found across South America with a range covering SA w, ne Colombia and nw Venezuela to c Bolivia, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant belong to?
The Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca fumicolor) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant eat?
The Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant migrate?
The Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant 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 Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant make?
1 real field recording of the Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant — 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 Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant's range?
The Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant has a mapped global range of about 246,000 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.