Gray-crowned Flatbill

Tolmomyias poliocephalus

Small, stocky flycatcher with broad, flat bill. Occupies canopy and midstory of forest edges, gardens, and tall second growth in humid lowlands. Has gray crown, pale yellow underparts, and yellow edgings to wing feathers (but not wingbars). Very similar to a few other species of flycatchers, particularly Yellow-margined and Yellow-olive Flycatchers; best distinguishing features include its pale eye, lack of a yellow patch at the base of the primaries, and voice. Call is a loud, quickly rising whistle: “tuee?”, higher and cleaner than similar calls from species like Brownish Twistwing and Blue-backed Manakin, but not as high as the “twee-twee” of Purple-throated Euphonia.

Identification

Tolmomyias flatbills are robust small birds with broad beaks. The grey-crowned flatbill is about 12 cm (4.7 in) long and has a generally yellowish-green plumage, a grey cap and nape, and a yellowish throat marked with grey. The iris is usually a pale colour and the mandible has a dark tip. Several species of flatbill overlap in their range and are easily confused with each other visually, but their songs are mostly distinctive. The grey-crowned flatbill's song is a series of whistles rising in pitch with the final whistle trembling – "tuee? tuee? TUEE? tuEEuEE? tuEEuEE?". The only other similar song in the genus is that of the yellow-margined flatbill (Tolmomyias assimilis) which has a more rasping quality; flatbills in this genus are difficult to tell apart and the voice is usually the best means of recognition. The stance of this species is more horizontal than other members of the genus, and it sometimes cocks its tail.

Taxonomy

Scientific name
Tolmomyias poliocephalus
Authority
(Taczanowski, 1884)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Tyrannidae
Genus
Tolmomyias

Range and habitat

The grey-crowned flatbill is native to the Amazon region of South America. Its range includes Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. Its maximum altitudinal range extends to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) or locally higher. It generally inhabits the middle and upper canopy of the rainforest as well as forest edges, river valleys and tall secondary forest growth. The nest is shaped like a bag and has a tubular entrance near the base; it is often hung near a wasp nest.

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

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