Family Tyrant-flycatchers (Tyrannidae)
Least Concern
Cliff Flycatcher (Hirundinea ferruginea)
Taxonomy
French: Moucherolle hirondelle German: Schwalbentyrann Spanish: Birro roquero
Taxonomy:
[Todus] ferruginea
J. F. Gmelin
, 1788,Cayenne
.Hitherto treated as conspecific with H. bellicosa (which see). Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution
H. f. sclateri
Reinhardt, 1870 –
Santa Marta in N Colombia#R, Sierra de Perijá, Andes of W Venezuela and S on E slope of E Andes from Colombia to SE Peru (S to Cuzco), as well as W slope of E Andes and very locally on E slope of C Andes in C Colombia#R.
H. f. ferruginea
(J. F. Gmelin, 1788) – disjunctly in E Colombia (Guainía, Guaviaré, Vaupés), NW Brazil (NW Amazonas, Roraima), S & SE Venezuela (Amazonas, S Bolívar), SW Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
Descriptive notes
15·5–18·5 cm; 28·8–40 g. Long, slender tyrannid reminiscent of a swallow (Hirundinidae), with short rictal bristles, long pointed bill broad... read more
Voice
Some calls resemble those of American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) and Bat Falcon (F.... read more
Habitat
Cerros, cliffs, rocky outcrops, canyon walls, landslides and steep banks bordered by mature and... read more
Food and feeding
Insects. Often forages in pairs or family groups. Unique in family, captures prey by hawking in spectacular, powerful, long aerial sallies... read more
Breeding
Almost nothing known, but in S Venezuela mentioned to build grass or moss cup-shaped nest in crevice or ledge on cliff or roadcut,... read more
Movements
Resident.
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Fairly common but local, especially so in Venezuela. However, is probably increasing and spreading into artificially created habitats... read more
Distribution Colombia
Lopera-Salazar, A. & S. Chaparro-Herrera. 2017. Distribución del Atrapamoscas Roquero (Hirundinea ferruginea) en Colombia y nuevas localidades en la cordillera Oriental. Boletín SAO 26 (1&2): 14-18.
http://sao.org.co/publicaciones/boletinsao/26_1n2/evNC4_BS26_2017.pdf