Olive-striped flycatcher

Mionectes olivaceus

Photo by Torres Monttenegro (Planet of Birds)

Common name:
olive-striped flycatcher (en); abre-asa-listado (pt); pipromorphe olive (fr); mosquero oliváceo (es); olivkopf-pipratyrann (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae


Range:
This species is found from Costa Rica, south to northern Venezuela and along the western slopes of the Andes to northern Bolivia. It is also found in Trinidad and Tobago.


Size:
These birds are 12,5-14 cm long and weigh 11-15 g.


Habitat:
Olive-striped flycatchers are mostly found in moist tropical forests, but also in plantations and patches of degraded former forest. They occur at altitudes of 500-3.000 m.


Diet:
Unlike most flycatcher, their diet includes a large portion of seeds, fruits and berries, but they also eat some insects and spiders.


Breeding:
The nest of the olive-striped flycatcher is a moss-covered ball with a side entrance, which is suspended from a root or branch, often over water. There the female lays 2-3 white eggs, which she incubates alone for 18-20 days. The chicks fledge 18-21 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as fairly common but patchily distributed. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.