Cyclarhis gujanensis
The Rufous-browed Peppershrike (Cyclarhis gujanensis) is a vibrant and vocal passerine, measuring 15-18 cm (6-7 in) in length and typically weighing 23-35 grams. Its distinctive features include greenish upperparts, a contrasting grey crown and nape, and a prominent, rusty-rufous supercilium (brow) that gives the species its common name. The underparts are a dull yellowish-olive, fading to a paler throat. Its stout, slightly hooked bill is characteristic of the peppershrike genus, well-suited...
Found in a diverse array of wooded habitats, including humid and semi-arid forests, forest edges, secondary growth, open woodlands, plantations, and even suburban gardens, from sea level up to 2,500 meters (8,200 ft) in elevation.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of arthropods such as caterpillars, beetles, and spiders, but also supplements its diet with small fruits and berries, foraging mainly by gleaning and probing foliage and bark.
This diurnal bird is most often observed singly or in pairs, occasionally joining mixed-species foraging flocks, particularly outside the breeding season. It forages primarily in the mid-canopy to sub-canopy layers, meticulously gleaning insects and spiders from foliage and branches, often probin...
The Rufous-browed Peppershrike boasts one of the most extensive distributions of any Neotropical passerine, found from eastern Mexico south through Central America and across much of South America. Its breeding and wintering ranges are essentially contiguous, as it is largely a resident species t...
Least Concern
- The Rufous-browed Peppershrike is a master mimic, capable of integrating phrases from other bird species into its own complex song, making identification challenging for novice birders. - Its common name "peppershrike" refers to its stout, slightly hooked bill, which was once thought strong eno...