Vermilion Flycatcher

Pyrocephalus obscurus

Male is volcanic red from crown to belly. Catches insects mid-air and gifts them, often a butterfly, to court females.

Population: Roughly 5,000,000–50,000,000 mature individuals globally; population trend declining (~1.7%/yr in the N. American portion of the range per BBS data, 1966–2007)
Habitat: Semi-open and riparian habitats: savanna, scrub, agricultural edges, riparian woodland, and desert country near water/streams, mesquite grassland; found from lowlands up to about 3,000 m elevation
Fun fact: The adult male's brilliant scarlet-red head and underparts — the genus name Pyrocephalus is Greek for "fire-headed" — are shown off in a fluttery courtship flight (fluffing crest and chest feathers, fanning the tail, and singing) used to attract females, who are gray-brown above with a salmon-pink wash below; the vivid red plumage depends on dietary carotenoids (zeaxanthin) to stay bright.
Range: Southwestern United States (Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, southern California) south through Mexico and Central America into northwestern and central South America; rare vagrant further north into Canada
Diet: Aerial insectivore — sallies from an exposed perch (typically within ~10 feet of the ground) to catch flies, grasshoppers, beetles, and other flying insects; occasionally takes small fish
Size: 0.135 m
Wingspan: 0.245 m
Lifespan: 5.5 years

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