Olive-striped Flycatcher

Mionectes olivaceus

The Olive-striped Flycatcher (Mionectes olivaceus) is a diminutive and often understated inhabitant of humid montane forests across the Neotropics. Measuring approximately 12-14 cm (4.7-5.5 inches) in length and weighing 10-14 grams, this small passerine is characterized by its dull olive-green upperparts, a distinguishing yellowish-white eye-ring, and prominent olive streaking on its paler yellow or yellowish-white underparts. Its relatively long, slender bill is dark above and paler below, ...

Habitat

Primarily found in the understory and mid-story of humid montane evergreen forests, cloud forests, and mature secondary growth, typically at elevations ranging from 600 to 2,000 meters (2,000 to 6,500 feet).

Diet

Feeds primarily on small arthropods, including insects and spiders, which it gleans from foliage or catches in short sallies, supplemented significantly by small berries and fruits plucked from vegetation.

Behavior

The Olive-striped Flycatcher is a highly active, diurnal species, often observed singly or in mixed-species foraging flocks, particularly in the forest understory. It employs a distinctive foraging strategy, frequently "hanging-gleaning" from twigs and leaves to snatch insects and berries, as wel...

Range

The Olive-striped Flycatcher boasts a broad distribution across the Neotropics, extending from southern Mexico (Oaxaca and Chiapas) through Central America (Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) and into northern South America. In South America, its range en...

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Fun Facts

- Despite its "flycatcher" name, it spends a considerable amount of time gleaning insects and fruit from foliage, behaving more like a small tanager or warbler than a typical sallying flycatcher. - Its distinctive "hanging-gleaning" foraging technique involves clinging to vegetation, often upside...

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