Streamer-tailed Tyrant Flycatcher

Streamer-tailed Tyrant Gubernetes yetapa, Brazil March 2011

 © John Martin, many thanks



A rare photograph of this South American flycatcher species. The Recorder also sent us an outer tail feather and with our newly acquired equipment, we were able to carry out some stable hydrogen-isotope analysis.

The isotope signature shows the bird to be of the poorly known sub-species strain 'hellarwe', probably from the south-eastern Santa Catarina region of Brazil.

Whereas most flycatchers like sunny, open wooded glades to make their aerial forays for insects, 'hellarwe' rarely ventures out from the thick jungle cover.

Clear sightings are rare and birds (the males at least), are best located by their long drawn out questioning call from the dense thickets....'we're the hellarwe....we're the hellarwe'.....not unlike our own Yellowhammer only with different words.

Many thanks for the ammunition John.