Northern Scrub Flycatcher
Sublegatus arenarum
The Northern Scrub Flycatcher (Sublegatus arenarum) is a uncommon tyrant flycatcher found in 11 countries, weighing about 12 g. The northern scrub flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers.
About the Northern Scrub Flycatcher
The northern scrub flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Aruba, Bonaire, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curaçao, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad, and Venezuela.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The northern scrub flycatcher is 13 to 15 cm (5.1 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 10.5 to 15 g (0.37 to 0.53 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies S. a. arenarum have a grayish brown crown that sometimes erects as a shaggy crest. Their face is mostly whitish to pale gray with a whitish supercilium, a dark line through the eye, and a darker gray to the back of the ear coverts. Their back and rump are grayish brown. Their wings are dusky gray with paler grayish to whitish edges on the flight feathers and tips of the wing coverts; the latter show as two wing bars. Voice: The northern scrub flycatcher is not highly vocal. Its most common calls are "an abrupt pweEEe! and peEEap! given singly or doubled". Other calls include a repeated "brisk, whistled phew! - dit" and single "pfweE or weEEe" notes.
What the Northern Scrub Flycatcher sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Northern Scrub Flycatcher can be seen all year round, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Northern Scrub Flycatcher?
- The northern scrub flycatcher is 13 to 15 cm (5.1 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 10.5 to 15 g (0.37 to 0.53 oz). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Northern Scrub Flycatcher?
- The Northern Scrub Flycatcher is a tiny sized bird weighing about 12 g.
- Where can you see a Northern Scrub Flycatcher?
- The Northern Scrub Flycatcher occurs in 11 countries, including Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Aruba and Panama.
- What does a Northern Scrub Flycatcher sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Northern Scrub Flycatcher on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Northern Scrub Flycatcher?
- The Northern Scrub Flycatcher is most easily confused with the Southern Scrub Flycatcher and the Amazonian Scrub Flycatcher.
- Is the Northern Scrub Flycatcher endangered?
- The Northern Scrub Flycatcher is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Northern Scrub Flycatcher for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.