Ochthoeca piurae
The Piura Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca piurae) is a charismatic member of the Tyrannidae family, endemic to the humid montane forests of northern Peru and southern Ecuador. This small flycatcher measures approximately 12.5-13.5 cm in length, possessing olive-brown upperparts and a distinctive grayish head that sharply contrasts with a bright white supercilium extending from the lores to just past the eye. Its underparts are white on the throat and chest, fading to a pale yellowish wash on the belly...
This species thrives in humid montane scrub and cloud forest edges, typically found at elevations ranging from 1,700 to 3,200 meters, often near streams, ravines, or forest clearings.
Its diet consists primarily of small to medium-sized insects, including flies, beetles, and caterpillars, which it catches mid-air or gleans from leaves and branches.
The Piura Chat-Tyrant is an active diurnal insectivore, frequently observed sallying from exposed perches to capture flying insects or gleaning prey from foliage. Individuals are typically encountered alone or in pairs, sometimes joining mixed-species foraging flocks, particularly outside the bre...
The Piura Chat-Tyrant is an Andean endemic, with its restricted range spanning the humid western slopes of the northern Peruvian Andes and extending into extreme southern Ecuador. In Peru, it is primarily found in the departments of Piura and Cajamarca. Its presence in Ecuador is limited to the s...
Least Concern
- The Piura Chat-Tyrant is named after the Piura Department in northern Peru, where it was first scientifically described. - Historically, it was sometimes considered a subspecies of the Rufous-browed Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca superciliosa) or Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca cinnamomeiventris) b...