Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant Myiotheretes pernix Scientific name definitions

Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant is a large flycatcher restricted to a tiny patch of northern Colombia.  Found only in the Santa Marta Mountains of northern Colombia, this species inhabits forest edges and clearings between 2100 and 2900 meters in elevation.  It is brown above with cinnamon edges to the flight feathers, dark rufous underparts with a black-streaked white throat and a stout bill.  The only species likely to pose confusion is the widespread Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant, which is larger and paler.  Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant can often be found hawking insects from atop a conspicuous tree- or bush-top perch.

18–21 cm. Has whitish supraloral stripe; dark brown above; wings darker, two pale cinnamon or rufous wingbars, rufous edges of inner flight-feathers; tail blackish, outer web of outer rectrix ferruginous or rufous-brown; throat white, narrowly and obscurely streaked dusky; underparts deep rufous, tinged olive on chest. Differs from M. striaticollis in smaller size, darker underparts, less cinnamon-rufous on tail. Sexes alike.

Santa Marta Mts, in N Colombia.

Shrubby borders of montane forest and secondary woodland, rarely in adjacent shrubby clearings, roadcuts, and overgrown hillsides; usually associated with forest edges. At 2100–3300 m (occasionally to 3580 m (1 Botero-Delgadillo, E., Bayly, N.J., Escudero-Páez, S. and Moreno, M.I. (2015). Understanding the distribution of a threatened bird at multiple levels: A hierarchical analysis of the ecological niche of the Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant (Myiotheretes pernix). Condor. 117(4): 629-643. Close ) ).

Resident.

Insects. Usually alone or in pairs; occasionally with mixed-species flocks. Makes long sallies from top of bush or small tree; occasionally sallies within tree crown.

Call a short but loud, descending whistle, “weeuuu, heeuuu, heeuu”, often repeated for up to a minute or longer.

Unknown.

ENDANGERED. Restricted-range species: present in Santa Marta Mountains EBA. Uncommon. Global population of a few thousand individuals confined to area of 352 km² on N slope of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (1 Botero-Delgadillo, E., Bayly, N.J., Escudero-Páez, S. and Moreno, M.I. (2015). Understanding the distribution of a threatened bird at multiple levels: A hierarchical analysis of the ecological niche of the Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant (Myiotheretes pernix). Condor. 117(4): 629-643. Close ), where localized and fragmented. Records from 15 localities (1 Botero-Delgadillo, E., Bayly, N.J., Escudero-Páez, S. and Moreno, M.I. (2015). Understanding the distribution of a threatened bird at multiple levels: A hierarchical analysis of the ecological niche of the Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant (Myiotheretes pernix). Condor. 117(4): 629-643. Close ), including the San Lorenzo ridge, and it can be seen along lower elevations of the San Lorenzo road. Total population estimated at less than 2500 mature individuals (2 Salaman, P.G.W., Amaya-Espinel, J.D. and Renjifo, L.M. (2002). Myiotheretes pernix. Pp. 342-344 in:. Close ) BirdLife International (2015) Species factsheet: Myiotheretes pernix. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/10/2015. . Habitat declining owing to continuing forest conversion for marijuana plantations; only 15% of original vegetation in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta remains, although largely on N slope where this species occurs. By 2002, an estimated 58% of original habitat had been lost (2 Salaman, P.G.W., Amaya-Espinel, J.D. and Renjifo, L.M. (2002). Myiotheretes pernix. Pp. 342-344 in:. Close ). Less significant threats are logging, burning, planting with exotic trees, e.g. eucalypts (Eucalyptus), and agricultural expansion, e.g. livestock grazing and coffee at lower altitudes. Remaining pristine habitats are protected within Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park and the wider Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Biosphere Reserve, but these formal designations have so far not been effective. More work with local communities and regional institutions is needed in order to identify conservation and management strategies and establish priorities. Considered Endangered at the national level in Colombia (3 Renjifo, L. M., A. M. Franco-Maya, J. D. Amaya-Espinel, G. H. Kattan, and B. López-Lanús (Editors) (2002). Libro Rojo de Aves de Colombia. Serie Libros Rojos de Especies Amenazadas de Colombia. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt & Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, Bogotá, Colombia. Close ).