<trp-post-container data-trp-post-id='360006'>Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher

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En bref

  • Scientific Name: Myiobius sulphureipygius
  • Spanish Name: Mosquero rabadilla azufrada
  • Famille : Tyrannidae
  • Known Nicknames: Sulphur-rumped Myiobius, Sulphury Flycatcher
  • Average Length: 11–12.5 cm / 4.3–4.9 in
  • Average Weight: 10–14 g / 0.35–0.49 oz
  • Wingspan: 18–22 cm / 7.1–8.7 in
  • Key Feature: Bright yellow rump patch contrasting with olive-brown upperparts
  • Primary Diet: Insectivore (primarily small flying insects)
  • Range: Southern Mexico to western Ecuador and northern Brazil
  • Habitat: Humid lowland and foothill forests, forest edges, and second growth
  • Social Structure: Solitary or in pairs; sometimes joins mixed-species foraging flocks
  • Nesting/Breeding: Pendant bag-shaped nest with side entrance, woven from plant fibers, suspended from a branch
  • Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
  • Évolution démographique : En baisse

The Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher (*Myiobius sulphureipygius*) is a lively, small passerine bird of Central and South American lowland forests, instantly recognizable by its vivid, canary-yellow rump patch that flashes conspicuously as it flits through the understory. Its general appearance is sleek and elegant: olive-brown upperparts contrast with a pale throat and breast, while its belly is a soft, buffy yellow. A unique and specialized feature is its exceptionally broad, flat bill fringed with long, stiff rictal bristles—a perfect adaptation for snatching insects mid-air during its acrobatic sallies. Additionally, unlike many flycatchers, it often joins mixed-species foraging flocks, where its bright rump serves as a visual beacon, helping other birds track its movements through the dense foliage.

Faits amusants

Despite its flashy name, the Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher’s bright yellow rump patch is rarely seen, as it is usually hidden under its wings and only flashed during courtship displays or when the bird is agitated, acting like a secret signal. It has a bizarre nesting habit: instead of building its own nest, it often takes over the hanging, pouch-like nests of oropendolas or caciques, sometimes even evicting the original occupants. To avoid predators, it will sit motionless for long periods on a perch, blending into the forest understory, then suddenly sally out to snatch insects with an audible snap of its beak.

Habitats et répartition

The Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher inhabits humid lowland and foothill forests, primarily within mature tropical rainforests, where it is often found along forest edges, clearings, and near streams. It frequents the understory and mid-levels of the canopy, favoring dense vegetation, vine tangles, and areas with abundant epiphytes. This species is distributed from southeastern Mexico through Central America, including Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, and extends into western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. Its range typically spans elevations from sea level up to about 1,200 meters, though it is most common below 800 meters.

Comportements & Reproduction

The Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher is generally solitary or found in pairs, with a loose social structure outside of breeding. Mating habits are monogamous, with pairs forming for the duration of a breeding season. Males perform a simple display, often perching and calling to attract a female, and both sexes may engage in a brief chase flight. The female builds a cup-shaped nest, typically in a tree fork or cavity, using plant fibers, moss, and spider webs. She lays two to three eggs, which she incubates alone for about 15–17 days, while the male guards the territory and brings food. After hatching, both parents feed the chicks, which fledge in roughly two weeks. A unique reproductive strategy is the use of snake skins or shed reptilian scales woven into the nest, which is thought to deter predators by mimicking a dangerous presence.

Alimentation

The Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher is an insectivorous bird, with its diet consisting almost entirely of small arthropods. It primarily forages by sallying from a perch to capture flying insects in mid-air, a behavior known as hawking, but it also gleans prey from the undersides of leaves and branches. Interestingly, it is a dedicated follower of army ant swarms, where it takes advantage of the panicked insects—including spiders, cockroaches, katydids, and beetles—fleeing the ants, often perching low on vertical saplings just a few meters from the swarm to snatch its prey. Despite its name, it does not eat fruit or nectar, and its diet is notably narrow, relying heavily on the sudden abundance of arthropods stirred up by these ant raids.

Couleurs

The Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher is primarily olive-brown above with a bright, distinctive yellow rump and yellow underparts, fading to a pale whitish belly. Its throat is whitish, and it has a subtle pale eye-ring. The wings are dark with two faint buff wing bars, and the tail is dark with white outer rectrices visible in flight. It lacks bold markings or disruptive patterns, relying on its subdued olive tones for camouflage in the understory.

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