Photo: Dario Sanches from São Paulo, Brazil / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Cliff Flycatcher
Hirundinea ferruginea
Cliff Flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea) — 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 Cliff Flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 30.6 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 Hirundinea
- Species ferruginea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 30.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Cliff Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of rocky terrain, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Cliff Flycatcher is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Cliff Flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 30.6 g, with a wing length of about 10.9 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.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 916,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Cliff Flycatcher?
The Cliff Flycatcher is a small bird that weighs around 30.6 g.
Where does the Cliff Flycatcher live?
The Cliff Flycatcher is found across South America with a range covering SA widespread, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Cliff Flycatcher belong to?
The Cliff Flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Cliff Flycatcher eat?
The Cliff Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Cliff Flycatcher migrate?
The Cliff Flycatcher is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Cliff 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 Cliff Flycatcher make?
1 real field recording of the Cliff 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 Cliff Flycatcher's range?
The Cliff Flycatcher has a mapped global range of about 916,000 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
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.