Vermilion Flycatcher

 Vermilion Flycatcher

Pyrocephalus rubinus

Range: Southern United States to Central Argentina 

Male Vermilion Flycatcher

Flycatchers are generally considered to be a rather drab group of birds. However, the Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) stands as a brilliant exception, with a striking scarlet plumage that many birders enjoy. A member of the Tyrant flycatcher family, there are twelve subspecies of Vermilion Flycatcher that range from the southern tip of the United States from Southern California across to Texas and as far down into South America as central Argentina. They also inhabit the Galapagos islands, and as such, are occasionally called Darwin’s Flycatcher or the Galapagos Flycatcher.

Description:

This species of flycatchers grows 6-7” in length. Is a dimorphic species. Males have a stunning scarlet crown, throat and belly, with a brownish black tail, back and wings. The females have a lighter brown head and back than the males, and have a pink belly that are not as flashy as the males, but nonetheless more colorful than most other flycatchers. These birds are known to live for up to five and a half years in the wild, and could possibly live slightly longer. 

Habitat and Breeding:

Vermilion Flycatcher Range Map

Flycatchers seem to prefer somewhat open areas in riparian woodlands, savannah and agricultural areas, and if a water source is nearby, can be found in areas of scrub or even desert. They eat mainly insects, usually hunting from an exposed perch, where they can dart out to snatch passing prey. 

Male Vermilion Flycatchers often initiate copulation by presenting a showy insect, such as a butterfly, to the female. These flycatchers are monogamous, and the female will lay 2-4 eggs in a nest made of roots, twigs and stems, followed by a two-week incubation period. Both parents help feed the young fledglings for an additional 15 days until the young   are ready to leave the nest. A mated pair of Vermilion Flycatchers can raise up to two broods per year.  

The first time I encountered a Vermilion Flycatcher was on a study abroad in Central America. Down at the site of the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan in Central Mexico, those of us in the ornithology class noticed a small, red bird outside the bus just as we arrived at the ruin site. As all we had seen previously were grackles, pigeons, and sparrows in Mexico City, we were very excited to do some "real" birding and identify something out of the ordinary, and out of the city. We spilled off of the bus and got to work photographing and generally geeking out over this important find. The Vermilion Flycatcher was the first real venture into birdwatching in Central America for many of us, and thus I have a bit of a soft spot for these brilliant birds. 

Vermilion Flycatchers stand out against the foliage