Gray-crowned Flatbill Tolmomyias poliocephalus Scientific name definitions

This widespread species generally recalls the Yellow-margined Flycatcher (Tolmomyias assimilis) and the Yellow-olive Flycatcher (Tolmomyias sulphurescens) in plumage, and there is widespread geographical overlap between the three of them. The Gray-crowned Flycatcher is principally an Amazonian species, being found from central Venezuela and the Guianas south across Brazil and west to eastern Peru, with a disjunct population in the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil. Three subspecies are recognized, but their boundaries do not appear to be firmly established, with, for example, the east Brazilian population being regarded as the same subspecies as that in eastern Amazonia. This flycatcher is found at middle and upper levels of a wide variety of forest types, albeit usually below 1000 m, and usually forages alone or in pairs, but often within large mixed-species flocks.

12 cm; 11 g. Nominate race has small whitish supraloral stripe and faint indistinct eyering; crown and nape grey, contrasting with olive upperparts; wings blackish, wing-coverts and remiges sharply edged yellow (two yellowish wingbars, sometimes faint pale panel at base of primaries); tail dusky olive; throat greenish, breast and flanks olive, belly and vent pale yellow; iris pale yellow, pale grey or pale brown; bill broad and flat, upper mandible black, lower mandible dark with pale orange-pink at base; legs grey. Sexes alike. Juvenile undescribed. Plumage differences of races quite subtle: sclateri differs from nominate in distinct pale grey throat, perhaps duller green back and paler yellow belly; klagesi appears intermediate between those two.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.