Howdy, friends. Birds are back and I have got a fluffy little tyrant for you. The cinnamon flycatcher is a member of the tyrannidae family of flycatchers, so named because an 18th century naturalist called one member of the family a tyrant. Later, biology luminary and inventor of binomial nomenclature Carl Linnaeus named the whole family tyrannidae because he was an admirer of his predecessor. Binomial nomenclature is a system of organizing living species by giving them two names, which follow Latin grammar although the names are not necessarily Latin. The first name specifies the genus of the living thing, and the second name, the species within the genus. Using this system, our russet new friend is formally known as Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus.
The cinnamon flycatcher lives in foothills and mountain ranges found in cloud forests, in a narrow band stretching from Venezuela in the north through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. It prefers forest edges, both along roads and natural clearings. The elevations at which it lives vary, topping out at between 900 and 3,400 m (3,000 and 11,200 ft) in Peru. It mostly lives in the same place all year round, although the population found in Argentina flies north during the southern hemisphere’s winter.
This bird eats arthropods and some berries, I could not find specifics on which of the latter. It tends to forage in pairs and will join mixed flocks to do as well, but will not leave its territory if the larger flock does on its quest for food. It typically perches high above the ground but not in treetops. From its perch it will sally forth to catch flying arthropods on the wing and then return to the same branch.
Not much is known about its breeding habits aside from the fact that nests are open cups made of branches and lichen, typically at least a meter to five meters off the ground. Mating season is between April and May in the north of its range.
The cinnamon flycatcher is rated as “of least concern” by the IUCN, due to its large range and a population that is thought to be stable. The bird appears to be fairly common throughout its range, and will persist even in areas that have been partially deforested. Its preference for forest edges may make this easier for our little buddy to deal with.
Be good to yourselves and others and have fun out there.
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