Myiarchus nuttingi
The Nutting's Flycatcher (Myiarchus nuttingi) is a distinctive medium-sized tyrant flycatcher, measuring approximately 18-19 cm (7-7.5 inches) in length and weighing around 25-30 grams. It presents a rather plain appearance typical of its genus, with olive-brown upperparts, a pale gray throat and breast, and a contrasting bright yellow belly. Key identification marks include faint rufous edging on the outer webs of its primary and secondary wing feathers, subtle rufous inner webs on the outer...
This flycatcher primarily inhabits arid to semi-arid tropical deciduous forests, thorn scrub, riparian woodlands, and canyons, often near water sources. It can be found from sea level up to elevations of about 2000 meters.
Their diet consists predominantly of insects, including beetles, grasshoppers, flies, wasps, and caterpillars, captured in aerial sallies. They occasionally supplement their insectivorous diet with small fruits and berries.
Nutting's Flycatchers are diurnal birds, typically observed singly or in pairs, actively foraging from dawn until dusk. Their foraging strategy is characteristic of tyrant flycatchers, primarily involving 'sallying' - quick flights from a perch to snatch flying insects in mid-air, often returning...
The Nutting's Flycatcher has a resident breeding range extending from southeastern Arizona in the United States, south through much of western and southern Mexico, and into Central America, reaching its southern limit in northwestern Costa Rica. In the US, it is a summer breeder, primarily found ...
Least Concern
- Named after Orrin Nutting, an American naturalist who collected the type specimen in Nicaragua in 1881. - Without its distinct call, Nutting's Flycatcher is one of the most challenging birds in its genus to identify visually, often requiring careful examination of subtle rufous patterns in the ...