Variegated Flycatcher

Overview

Variegated Flycatcher: Medium flycatcher, dark brown-and-black scaled upperparts, brown eye-line on pale face, thin brown moustache stripe, dark-streaked, pale yellow underparts. Dark pale edged wing feathers. Dark tail feathers with thick rufous edges. Eats insects, berries, fruits.

Range and Habitat

Variegated Flycatcher: Accidental in North America; recorded in Maine, Tennessee, and Florida (Florida record remains questionable). Uncommon to common in South America.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Variegated Flycatcher was described by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot, a French ornithologist, in 1818.
It is one of 3 widespread flycatchers that are streaked below.

A group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including an "outfield", "swatting", "zapper", and "zipper" of flycatchers. The Variegated Flycatcher has a large range, estimated globally at 10,000,000 square kilometers. Native to the Americas, this bird prefers subtropical or tropical forest or dry savanna ecosystems. The global population of this bird is not precisely known but does not show signs of decline that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of the Variegated Flycatcher is Least Concern.