Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Variegated Flycatcher
Latin: Empidonomus varius
Other: Peitica (Br)
Family: Tyrannidae • Flycatchers

The Variegated Flycatcher range extends from Argentina to Venezuala and it is found throughout Brazil - these were seen in Ubatuba.

The Variegated Flycatcher looks similar to the Streaked Flycatcher, but is slighter, less streaked, with smaller bill, which is darker underneath. White edging to wings is prominent as is the rufous edging to tail feathers.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Streaked Flycatcher
Latin: Myiodynastes maculatus
Other: Bem-ti-vi-rajado (Br)
Family: Tyrannidae • Flycatchers

The Streaked Flycatcher range extends from Mexico to Argentina and it is found throughout Brazil. These photos were taken in Itatiaia.

The Streaked Flycatcher looks similar to the Variegated Flycatcher, but is larger, more strongly marked and with bigger bill. The bill is also partly light and pinkish underneath.

The individual below (in “more photos”) was very vociferous.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia November 2009

Bird name: Short Crested Flycatcher
Latin: Myiarchus ferox
Other: Maria-cavaleira (Br)
Family: Tyrannidae • Flycatchers

These photos have been identified as probably Short-crested Flycatchers. They were mostly taken in Itatiaia in November. However there are a few very similar birds in the region, such as Swainson’s Flycatcher, so treat this ID with caution.

The Short-crested Flycatcher is widespread in Brazil, present in all areas other than Rio Grande do Sul. In Itatiaia they would visit the lodge and catch moths on the veranda. Its range extends from Argentina to Venezuala.More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Cote d’Azur, France • October 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: European Stonechat
Latin: Saxicola torquatus
Other: Saxicola rubicola • Saxicola torquata • Common Stonechat • Tarier pâtre (Fr)
Family: Muscicapidae • Chats

The Stonechat is a small bird, present throughout the year on the Cote d’Azur, and found throughout most of Europe, especially in the summer. The similar Whinchat has a stronger white supercilium and an extra patch of white on the wing (male).

The name of this bird seems to be in flux currently. S. torquatus, torquata and rubicola all are used. Common Stonechat is the older broader name, European Stonechat is narrower grouping. The Chats used to be grouped with Thrushes, but now are considered Old World Flycatchers.

More photos...

Photos copyright: VM/monacoeye • Treviso, Italy • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Spotted Flycatcher
Latin: Muscicapa striata
Other: Gobe-Mouche Gris (Fr) • Pigliamosche (It)
Family: Muscicapidae • Flycatchers

A nice picture of a Spotted Flycatcher above sent in by Valerie from her garden in Italy. Note the faintly streaked chest and head and slightly lighter supercilium. Otherwise not much in the way of prominent features.

While most birds cannot distinguish between their own eggs and others, the Spotted Flycatcher can discriminate well. This suggests it was once parasitised by the Cuckoo but successfully adapted its defence though egg recognition.

I saw half a dozen Spotted Flycatchers in the Danube Delta region, particularly near the coastal area - numbers have reportedly fallen off in the UK.More photos...

Photos: VM/monacoeye • Treviso, Italy • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Common Redstart
Latin: Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Other: Redstart • Rouge-queue à front blanc (Fr) • Codirosso (It)
Family: Muscicapidae • Flycatchers

Above, lovely bright colours of the male Common Redstart in northern Italy, from Valerie.More photos...

Photo copyright: AS/monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Amboseli • Oct 2009

Bird name: Northern Black Flycatcher
Latin: Melaenornis edolioides
Other:
Family: Muscicapidae • Flycatchers

The Northern Black Flycatcher…More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba & Mostardas November 2009

Bird name: Fork Tailed Flycatcher
Latin: Tyrannus savana
Other: Tesourinha (Br) • Tijereta sabanera (Es)
Family: Tyrannidae • Kingbirds

The Fork-tailed Flycatcher is found throughout much of South America, migrating north in the austral winter.

It is immediately identifiable by its extremely long tail feathers and black cap.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Brazil • November 2009

Bird name: Social Flycatcher
Latin: Myiozetetes similis
Other: Vermilion-crowned Flycatcher • bentevizinho-de-penacho-vermelho
Family: Tyrannidae • Tyrant Flycatchers

The Social Flycatcher is a bit smaller and slighter than the superficially similar Great Kiskadee. The Social Flycatcher has a more curved culmen (top part of bill) and smaller bill. The white band does not complete all the way round its head.

The Social Flycatcher can be found in much of Latin America and most of Brazil.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia, Ubatuba • November 2009

Bird name: Cliff Flycatcher
Latin: Hirundinea ferruginea
Other: Gibão-de-couro (Br)
Family: Tyrannidae • Tyrant Flycatchers

The plumage of the Cliff Flycatcher is in tones of rufous brown, with a very small amount of light around the eye and a dark bill.

Cliff Flycatchers seemed fairly common in Itatiaia and Ubatuba, with a pair nesting on the windowsill of one of the chalets in Ubatuba - see photos below (“more photos”).

The female, presumably, was usually on the nest when I passed, with the male in attendance, either on the balcony of another chalet overlooking the nest (see photo) or flying around catching insects. Occasionally the female would join him on the balcony fence and they would both survey their brood of three eggs from a distance of about ten metres.

In Ubatuba I saw several Cliff Flycatchers on telephone wires, and in Itatiaia a group of them appeared at the top of a tree and then mobbed a passing Rufous-thighed Hawk.

Most of the range of the Cliff Flycatcher lies in Brazil, but there are other populations in South America east of the Andes.


More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba • November 2009

Bird name: Yellow Lored Tody Flycatcher
Latin: Todirostrum poliocephalum
Other: Gray-headed Tody-flycatcher • Teque-teque (Br)
Family: Tyrannidae • Tody Flycatchers

The Yellow-lored Tody-Flycatcher is instantly recognisable by its yellow “head-lights”. Its iris has a hint of red, underparts are bright yellow, and upperside and head mostly darker greenish with black and yellow highlights, with two yellow wingbars.

The Yellow-lored Tody-Flycatcher has a relatively small range. It is only found in Brazil, in the eastern part of the country, from Bahia to Santa Catarina.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Itatiaia • November 2009

Bird name: Sepia Capped Flycatcher
Latin: Leptopogon amaurocephalus
Other: Cabeçudu (Br)
Family: Tyrannidae • Tyrant Flycatchers

The Sepia-capped Flycatcher is a great little flycatcher which lives in tropical and sub-tropical forest. I was very pleased to get such a good view of this bird in Itatiaia and the photo above is one of my personal favourites from that Brazil trip.

The Sepia-capped Flycatcher’s range extends from Argentina to Mexico and can be found in most of Brazil excluding the Amazon basin.

Sepia-capped Flycatcher identification: brownish cap, dark mark around the ear area. Yellowish belly, darker chest. From behind, strong lines on wings.

More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Ubatuba • November 2009

Bird name: Bran Colored Flycatcher
Latin: Myiophobus fasciatus
Other: Bran-Coloured Flycatcher • Filipe (Br)
Family: Tyrannidae • Tyrant Flycatchers

The Bran-colored Flycatcher’s range extends from Costa Rica to Argentina including all but the northwest of Brazil.

The Bran-coloured Flycatcher has a brown head and cape, darker lower down the wings where two wingbars are very visible. Underneath, the chest and upper belly is streaked. Lower, the belly (on my individual, at least) is yellowish.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Images: Lagoa do Peixe • November 2009

Bird name: Vermilion Flycatcher
Latin: Pyrocephalus rubinus
Other: Príncipe (Br) • Churrinche (Es)
Family: Tyrannidae • Tyrant Flycatchers

The male Vermilion Flycatcher is unmistakable with his striking red head and body and brown mask and wings.The female is brown and white mostly. Found in most of the Americas from Texas to Argentina.

More photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Nice, France • May, 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Pied Flycatcher
Latin: Ficedula hypoleuca
Other: Gobe-mouche noir • European Pied Flycatcher
Family: Muscicapidae • FlycatchersMore photos...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Cote d’Azur, France • Summer 2009 • Do not copy without permission

Bird name: Whinchat
Latin: Saxicola rubetra
Other: Tarier des prés
Family: Muscicapidae • Chats

Whinchats and Stonechats although not that rare, are very hard to photograph, as they tend to keep their distance and are very small. Hence the poor images … The male (top) gets quite colourful in the spring. The presumed female below - is more monochrome.More photos...

Bird name: European Robin
Latin: Erithacus rubecula
Other: Rouge Gorge Familier
Family: Muscicapidae or Turdidae
Tag: Flycatchers or Thrushes

Photo: monacoeye • nr Monaco • February 2009

A common winter resident. Not sure about the taxonomy.More photos...

Bird name: Black Redstart
Latin: Phoenicurus ochruros
Other: Rouge Queue Noir • Rossignol des Murailles
Family: Muscicapidae • Flycatchers (or Turdidae - thrushes)

Photo: monacoeye • Cote d’Azur • Jan - Mar 2009

Male top and female below. The Black Redstart is one of the more visible birds along the coast, even in winter.More photos...

Photo copyright: monacoeye • Do not copy • Cote d’Azur 2009

Bird name: Blue Rock Thrush
Latin: Monticola solitarius
Other: Monticole bleu (Fr)
Family: Muscicapidae • Flycatchers

Has to be a Blue Rock-thrush really, although not much to go on in the photo. Not a Thrush but a Flycatcher.More photos...