Photo: Félix Uribe from Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Short-crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus ferox
Short-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus ferox) — 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 Short-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus ferox) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 27.5 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 ferox
Quick facts
- Weight
- 27.5 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Short-crested 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 Short-crested Flycatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Short-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus ferox) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA widespread.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27.5 g, with a wing length of about 8.6 cm and a tail of around 8.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 11.9 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Short-crested Flycatcher?
The Short-crested Flycatcher is a small bird that weighs around 27.5 g.
Where does the Short-crested Flycatcher live?
The Short-crested Flycatcher is found across South America with a range covering SA widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Short-crested Flycatcher belong to?
The Short-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus ferox) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Short-crested Flycatcher eat?
The Short-crested Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Short-crested Flycatcher migrate?
The Short-crested Flycatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Short-crested 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 Short-crested Flycatcher make?
1 real field recording of the Short-crested 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 Short-crested Flycatcher's range?
The Short-crested Flycatcher has a mapped global range of about 11.9 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
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Meet the Tyrannidae
A field guide to the Tyrannidae family — 444 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.