Celebrate the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival (CEBF) with us! Our theme in 2024 is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds”—highlighting the importance of protecting insects for birds and our environment. Have fun learning about a new endemic bird every day. We have colouring pages, puzzles, activities, and more. Download for free and enjoy learning about and celebrating nature!
Endemic Bird of the Day: Rufous-tailed Flycatcher
Known locally as “Big Tom Fool,” the Rufous-tailed Flycatcher (Myiarchus validus) reigns supreme as the largest Myiarchus flycatcher endemic to the lush landscapes of Jamaica! Standing at an impressive 24 cm (10 in), this charismatic bird captivates observers with its distinctive rufous wings and tail, creating an unforgettable sight when seen in the first morning light on the mountains.
The adult Rufous-tailed Flycatcher boasts a brown head, which may be either rounded or peaked when its crest erects for display. Its bill is large, wide, and flattened, and presents a striking contrast between the dark brown upper mandible and orange base on the lower mandible. The back is a subtle brown, while the wings and tail showcase an olive-brown hue, broadly edged with a mesmerizing orange-rufous. The throat and upper breast adopt a pale gray tone, transitioning to a yellowish hue on the belly. Undertail-coverts maintain a light brown shade, and the legs appear in a subdued grayish-brown.
Distinctive in its habitat and behavior, the Rufous-tailed Flycatcher frequents wooded hills and mountains, thriving in various forest types, dry scrub, and secondary forests. Foraging on a diet of insects and berries, including Red Birch, Sweetwood, and Bitterwood, this flycatcher demonstrates its versatility in adapting to different environments. During the breeding season, spanning from April to July, these birds nest in vertical cavities in trees and rotten fence posts, evincing their resourcefulness in creating secure habitats for their offspring.
What makes the Rufous-tailed Flycatcher truly stand out is its vocal prowess. Its fast, rolling “pree-ee-ee-ee-ee,” reminiscent of a horse neighing, echoes through the wooded hills, and is often heard more easily than the bird itself is seen! However, when in view, the Rufous-tailed Flycatcher exhibits a fascinating obliviousness to observers, allowing for extended close encounters, and earning it its endearing local moniker, “Big Tom Fool.”
Despite its distinctive features and engaging behavior, the Rufous-tailed Flycatcher faces conservation challenges. While currently listed as “Least Concern” by IUCN, the species contends with habitat loss and degradation due to hunting, timber removal, deliberate fires, and agricultural expansion. The resilience of this charismatic bird serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between human activities and the preservation of Jamaica’s rich avian biodiversity. Conservation efforts are crucial to ensuring the continued existence of the Rufous-tailed Flycatcher in the vibrant landscapes it calls home.
Learn more about this species, including its range, photos, and calls here. Great news! If you’re in the Caribbean, thanks to BirdsCaribbean, you have free access to Birds of the World and you can find out even more in the full species account of this bird!
Thanks to Arnaldo Toledo for the illustration and Qwahn Kent for the text!
Colour in the Rufous-tailed Flycatcher
Download our West Indies Endemic Bird colouring page. Use the photos below as your guide, or you can look up pictures of the bird online or in a bird field guide if you have one. Share your coloured-in page with us by posting it online and tagging us @BirdsCaribbean #CEBFfromthenest
Listen to the calls of the Rufous-tailed Flycatcher
The calls of the Rufous-tailed Flycatcher include a squeaky, emphatic repeated “or-will,” as well at twittering sounds, a whistled “pi-pi-pi-pi-pee-pee-pee-pee,” and a harsh squeaky “pew.”
Puzzle of the Day
Click on the image below to do the puzzle. You can make the puzzle as easy or as hard as you like – for example, 6, 8, or 12 pieces for young children, all the way up to 1,024 pieces for those that are up for a challenge!
Activity of the Day
FOR KIDS : Our theme for the Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival this year is “Protect insects, protect birds“. Celebrate this theme in our “DIY Butterfly Costume” activity! You will have fun learning all about butterflies. From wings to antennae, you will explore the different parts of the butterfly while making your own butterfly costume!
For this activity you will need:
- An empty cereal box or poster board
- Scissors
- Craft supplies (anything than you can decorate your wings with, such as tissue paper, cotton balls, crayons, fabric strips, markers, paints, pom poms, tinfoil)
- Pipe cleaners
- Glue or tape
- Hole punch
- Elastic string or yarn (about two feet long)
You will need a parent or trusted adult to help you with this activity! You can find all the instructions and information you will need here.
FOR KIDS AND ADULTS : Enjoy this video of a Rufous-tailed Flycatcher in the wild.