Mitrephanes olivaceus
The Olive Tufted Flycatcher (Mitrephanes olivaceus) is a diminutive and distinctive member of the Tyrannidae family, known for its unique, peaked crown and striking coloration. Averaging 12-13 cm (4.7-5.1 in) in length and weighing around 9-11 g (0.3-0.4 oz), it boasts olive-green upperparts, a duller olive chest, and pale yellowish underparts, often with a faint olive wash. Its most defining feature is the prominent, often rufous-tinged, pointed crest which gives it its "tufted" moniker, alo...
Primarily inhabits humid evergreen montane forests, cloud forests, and their edges, typically found at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 2,500 meters (3,300-8,200 feet).
Feeds almost exclusively on small to medium-sized flying insects, such as flies, beetles, and moths, captured primarily by agile aerial sallies from exposed perches.
This active flycatcher is largely diurnal, often seen sallying from an exposed perch to snatch flying insects in mid-air, a foraging style known as sally-gleaning. They are typically solitary or found in pairs, but may join mixed-species foraging flocks during non-breeding seasons. During courtsh...
The Olive Tufted Flycatcher is a resident species found in a disjunct distribution across northern South America. Its primary range extends through the Andes Mountains from southwestern Colombia, southward through Ecuador, and into extreme northern Peru. Within Colombia, it is found on both the w...
Least Concern
- The Olive Tufted Flycatcher's distinctive peaked crest is often tinged with rufous, adding to its unique appearance among Neotropical flycatchers. - Despite its small size, it is an incredibly agile flyer, performing acrobatic maneuvers to catch insects in dense forest understory. - It is often...