Euscarthmus meloryphus
The Fulvous-crowned Scrub Tyrant, *Euscarthmus meloryphus*, is a diminutive and often inconspicuous passerine belonging to the tyrant-flycatcher family, Tyrannidae, characterized by its distinctive warm fulvous crown. Measuring a mere 10-11 cm (4-4.3 inches) in length and weighing around 7-8 grams, it sports a generally dull olive-green back, yellowish wing-bars, and whitish underparts with a faint yellowish wash on the flanks. Its most reliable field mark, aside from the namesake crown, is a...
This species primarily inhabits dry, open woodlands, scrublands, savanna edges, and degraded agricultural areas, often with dense undergrowth. It is typically found at low to moderate elevations, rarely exceeding 1,500 meters (4,900 feet).
Primarily insectivorous, consuming small insects and other arthropods gleaned from foliage or captured in short, aerial sallies.
The Fulvous-crowned Scrub Tyrant is a highly active but secretive bird, often observed singly or in pairs, foraging low within dense vegetation. It employs a "sally-glean" foraging strategy, perching upright on a low branch, scanning for insects, and then making short, acrobatic flights to snatch...
The Fulvous-crowned Scrub Tyrant has a broad but somewhat fragmented distribution across central and eastern South America. Its primary range extends from eastern Bolivia and central Brazil (encompassing states like Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo) southward through Paraguay and U...
Least Concern
- The Fulvous-crowned Scrub Tyrant is one of the smallest members of the diverse Tyrannidae family, often measuring less than 11 cm. - Despite its small size and cryptic plumage, its distinctive buzzing or trilling call is often the first clue to its presence in dense scrub. - It frequently bobs ...