Tyran de Cayenne

En bref

  • Scientific Name: Myiozetetes cayanensis
  • Spanish Name: Atrapamoscas gorjiblanco
  • Famille : Tyrannidae
  • Known Nicknames: Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Cayenne Flycatcher
  • Average Length: 16–18 cm / 6.3–7.1 in
  • Average Weight: 24–30 g / 0.85–1.06 oz
  • Envergure : N/A
  • Key Feature: Rufous edges on wing and tail feathers
  • Primary Diet: Insectivore, also frugivore
  • Range: Central and South America from eastern Panama to northern Bolivia, the Guianas, and Amazonian Brazil
  • Habitat: Forest edges, clearings, riverbanks, and secondary growth near water
  • Social Structure: Often solitary or in pairs; sometimes joins mixed-species flocks
  • Nesting/Breeding: Domed nest with side entrance, built in a tree or shrub
  • Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
  • Évolution démographique : Stable

The Rusty-margined Flycatcher (*Myiozetetes cayanensis*) is a lively, medium-sized passerine bird found across much of northern South America, where it thrives in open woodlands, forest edges, and near human settlements. Its most distinctive feature is the namesake rusty or rufous edging on the primary wing feathers, which contrasts sharply with its otherwise dark olive-brown upperparts. The bird has a crisp white throat and belly, a dark grayish head with a bold white supercilium (eyebrow stripe), and a short, stout bill adapted for catching insects in mid-air. A special behavioral trait is its aggressive, social nature: it often joins mixed-species flocks and is known to fearlessly mob larger predators, including hawks and snakes, while emitting a sharp, chattering call. This flycatcher also exhibits a unique nesting habit, building a large, domed nest with a side entrance, frequently placed near wasp nests to deter predators—a clever example of avian mutualism.

Faits amusants

Despite its name, the rusty-margined flycatcher’s “rusty” wing edges are often invisible unless the bird is in flight or stretching, making it a master of subtle plumage deception. It has a quirky habit of vigorously shaking its tail feathers side-to-side while perched, a behavior that seems to communicate agitation or excitement but is not fully understood. One of its most interesting adaptations is its boldness around larger animals: it frequently perches on the backs of capybaras or cattle, using them as mobile hunting platforms to snatch insects stirred up by the hosts’ movements. This flycatcher also engages in “mobbing,” where it aggressively dive-bombs much larger birds of prey to drive them from its territory, despite being only about the size of a sparrow.

Habitats et répartition

This species is found from eastern Panama through much of northern and central South America, including Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and northern Bolivia. It inhabits a wide range of semi-open and edge environments, typically near water, such as riverbanks, clearings, forest edges, secondary growth, gardens, and plantations. It avoids the interior of dense, humid primary forest but is common in disturbed areas and along waterways from sea level up to around 1,000 meters in elevation.

Comportements & Reproduction

The Rusty-margined Flycatcher is typically observed in pairs or small family groups, defending a territory year-round. Its social structure is monogamous, and pairs form long-term bonds. During courtship, the male performs a display involving wing-fluttering and a series of sharp, high-pitched calls while perched near the female. Nesting is a cooperative effort: both sexes build a bulky, domed nest with a side entrance, often placed in a tree fork or near human structures like fence posts. A unique reproductive strategy is their frequent use of active wasp nests, building directly above or beside them; the aggressive wasps provide effective protection against predators and brood parasites like cowbirds. The female lays a clutch of 2–4 eggs, and both parents share incubation and feeding duties, with the male often taking a primary role in defending the nest site.

Alimentation

The Rusty-margined Flycatcher is primarily an insectivore, capturing a wide variety of flying insects such as flies, beetles, and moths by sallying from a perch, but it is also highly opportunistic and frugivorous. A fascinating aspect of its diet is its frequent consumption of small fruits and berries, particularly from mistletoe plants, which it often plucks while hovering. This flycatcher is known to occasionally eat small lizards and even raid the nests of other birds to consume eggs or nestlings. Additionally, it has been observed foraging in mixed-species flocks and sometimes following army ant swarms to snatch insects flushed by the ants.

Couleurs

The Rusty-margined Flycatcher has a dark olive-brown back and wings with conspicuous rufous edges on the flight feathers and tail, giving it a warm, rusty trim. Its head is gray with a white supercilium and a hidden yellow crown patch, while the throat is white, the breast is pale gray, and the belly is bright yellow. This combination of dull upperparts and bright underparts provides camouflage in dappled forest light while aiding in social signaling.