Ochthoeca rufipectoralis
The Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca rufipectoralis) is a small, visually striking tyrant-flycatcher, typically measuring 12-14 cm (4.7-5.5 inches) in length and weighing approximately 12-16 grams. Its most defining field mark is a vivid rufous breast, which contrasts sharply with its dark gray head and back. A prominent white supercilium, or eyebrow stripe, extends behind the eye, providing another key identification feature, complemented by two pale tawny-rufous wing bars on dusky win...
This species primarily inhabits humid montane cloud forests and their edges, as well as bushy clearings and ravines, typically found at elevations between 2,000 and 3,800 meters (6,500-12,500 feet) in the Andes, often near streams.
The diet of the Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant consists almost entirely of small to medium-sized insects, including flies, beetles, wasps, moths, and small spiders. They primarily forage by aerial hawking, gleaning, and hover-gleaning from vegetation.
Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrants are active diurnal foragers, frequently seen perched upright on exposed branches or reeds, surveying their surroundings. Their primary foraging strategy involves making short, agile sallies to snatch flying insects from the air (aerial hawking), or sally-gleaning prey...
The Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant is a non-migratory resident species found exclusively in the Andes Mountains of South America, spanning Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Its extensive distribution primarily covers elevations between 2,000 and 3,800 meters (6,500-12,500 feet) above sea level, ...
Least Concern
- Despite being a "tyrant" flycatcher, the Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant is quite small, typically only 12-14 cm (4.7-5.5 inches) long. - Its scientific genus, Ochthoeca, combines Greek words meaning "earth dweller" and "house," possibly alluding to its preference for ground-level foraging or shelt...