Euscarthmus fulviceps
The Fulvous-faced Scrub Tyrant (*Euscarthmus fulviceps*) is a diminutive and inconspicuous passerine, a jewel of the Neotropical scrublands belonging to the diverse tyrant-flycatcher family (Tyrannidae). Averaging 9.5-10.5 cm in length and weighing a mere 6-8 grams, it sports a distinctive fulvous (tawny-orange) face, lore, and forehead, contrasting with its olive-brown upperparts and pale throat grading into yellowish underparts. Its small size, short tail, and active, often furtive movement...
Inhabits dry to semi-humid deciduous woodlands, arid scrub, and riparian thickets, typically in dense undergrowth from sea level up to 2500 meters, predominantly in the lower elevations.
Feeds primarily on small insects and other arthropods, which it gleans from foliage and snatches in short aerial pursuits.
This small tyrant-flycatcher is primarily diurnal, actively foraging alone or in pairs within the lower and mid-story vegetation. Its foraging strategy involves quick gleaning of insects from leaves and twigs, often punctuated by short, acrobatic aerial sallies to snatch flying prey. Though speci...
The Fulvous-faced Scrub Tyrant is endemic to the dry and semi-arid regions of western South America. Its primary breeding range extends from southwestern Ecuador, through the dry Tumbesian lowlands of northwestern Peru, and southwards along the Pacific slope and inter-Andean valleys of central we...
Least Concern
- Despite its name, it is not a "tyrant" in behavior, but rather a small, unobtrusive insectivore. - Its distinctive fulvous face gives it the appearance of being permanently sun-kissed. - Often heard before it is seen, its high-pitched, insect-like calls can easily be mistaken for orthopterans. ...