Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Swainson’s Flycatcher
Myiarchus swainsoni
Swainson's Flycatcher (Myiarchus swainsoni) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Swainson’s Flycatcher (Myiarchus swainsoni) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 25.1 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 Myiarchus
- Species swainsoni
Quick facts
- Weight
- 25.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Swainson’s Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Swainson’s Flycatcher is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Swainson’s Flycatcher (Myiarchus swainsoni) is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 25.1 g, with a wing length of about 8.9 cm and a tail of around 8.3 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 11.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Swainson’s Flycatcher?
The Swainson’s Flycatcher is a small bird that weighs around 25.1 g.
Where does the Swainson’s Flycatcher live?
The Swainson’s Flycatcher is found across South America with a range covering SA widespread, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Swainson’s Flycatcher belong to?
The Swainson’s Flycatcher (Myiarchus swainsoni) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Swainson’s Flycatcher eat?
The Swainson’s Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Swainson’s Flycatcher migrate?
The Swainson’s Flycatcher is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Swainson’s 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 Swainson’s Flycatcher make?
1 real field recording of the Swainson’s Flycatcher — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Swainson’s Flycatcher's range?
The Swainson’s Flycatcher has a mapped global range of about 11.1 million 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
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
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.