Rhytipterna simplex
The Greyish Mourner, *Rhytipterna simplex*, is a small to medium-sized Neotropical cotinga, typically measuring around 19 cm (7.5 inches) in length and weighing between 32-42 grams. Its unassuming plumage of dull grayish-brown upperparts and paler, often yellowish-tinged underparts makes it easily overlooked, a characteristic often shared across its genus. Distinctive field marks include a faint pale eye-ring, a slightly darker bill, and a subtle, often barely visible crest. Taxonomically, it...
This species primarily inhabits humid lowland evergreen forests, including forest edges, clearings, and secondary growth, typically found at elevations up to 1000-1100 meters.
Primarily insectivorous, consuming large insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, and moths, supplemented with some fruit.
The Greyish Mourner is largely diurnal, often observed singly or in pairs, exhibiting a quiet and inconspicuous presence within the forest canopy. Its foraging strategy is primarily insectivorous, involving sallying flights from a concealed perch to catch insects in mid-air (flycatching) or glean...
The Greyish Mourner is a widespread resident across the humid lowlands of South America, with its distribution spanning a vast area from eastern Colombia, eastern Venezuela, and the Guianas, south through the Amazon basin of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Its range extends eastward into coas...
Least Concern
- Despite its name, the Greyish Mourner is not closely related to true 'mourners' from other families but earns its epithet from its distinctive, melancholic call. - Its dull plumage and flycatcher-like foraging behavior led to historical taxonomic confusion, with some ornithologists once placing...