Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Tyrannidae | IUCN Status: Least Concern

vermilion_flycatcher
Age: Adults | Sex: Males and Females | Loc. Lima, Peru

vermilion_flycatcher
Age: Adults | Sex: Males and Females | Loc. Lima, Peru

vermilion_flycatcher
Age: Adults | Sex: Males and Females | Loc. Amazonian Peru and Brazil

vermilion_flycatcher
Age: Adult and Juvenile | Sex: Male and Unknown | Loc. Huaraz, Peru


Identification & Behavior: ~15 cm (6 in). The male Vermilion Flycatcher has black upperparts and tail and bright red head and rest of the underparts. The female is gray-brown above and has a pale superciliary. The throat and breast are whitish streaked with dusky and a variable amount of red on the lower belly and flanks. Females of the migratory subspecies in Amazonia have whitish underparts streaked with dusky and no red on the lower belly. The juvenile looks more like a female. Dark morph individuals are largely restricted to the city of Lima where birds can be all black, dusky brown, and black with red. It forages in semi-open habitats and also in green areas in urban settings. The dark morph may be confused with a Shiny Cowbird, but cowbirds are shiny black-blue and forage on the ground for the most part.

Status: The Vermilion Flycatcher is a common resident on the western lowlands and in parts of the Marañon drainage. In Amazonia, the Vermilion Flycatcher is an Austral migrant expected in the region during the months of April through November. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, Bo, and Ch.

Name in Spanish: Mosquero Bermellón.

Sub-species: Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus piurae), J. T. Zimmer, 1941.  W Colombia S to NW Peru.
(Pyrocephalus rubinus ardens), J. T. Zimmer, 1941.  N Peru (extreme E Piura, Cajamarca, Amazonas).
(Pyrocephalus rubinus obscurus), Gould, 1839.  W Peru (Lima region).
(Pyrocephalus rubinus cocachacrae), J. T. Zimmer, 1941.  SW Peru S to extreme N Chile.
(Pyrocephalus rubinus rubinus) (Boddaert), 1783.  breeds SE Bolivia, Paraguay and SE Brazil S to Argentina (S to Río Negro) and Uruguay; winters mostly E of Andes N to E Ecuador and SE Colombia and E through Amazonia and S Brazil.

Meaning of Name: Pyrocephalus: Gr. pur, puros= fire and kephale= head. rubinus: Old French rubin= ruby, rubinus, ruber = ruby-coloured, red, ruddy.

See more of the Family Tyrannidae  peru aves

Distribution Map
vermilion flycatcherVoice


References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 03/01/2017.