Ochthornis littoralis
Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The drab water tyrant (Ochthornis littoralis) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. The drab water tyrant was originally described as Muscicapa littoralis and in 1868 von Pelzeln assigned it to genus Elainea (now spelled Elaenia). In 1888 Sclater erected genus Ochthornis for the species. In the 1970s one author suggested merging Ochthornis into genus Ochthoeca but this treatment did not gain acceptance.
The drab water tyrant is the only member of its genus and has no subspecies. The drab water tyrant is 13 to 13.5 cm (5.1 to 5.3 in) long and weighs about 13 g (0.46 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a dark sandy brown crown and a faint whitish supercilium on an otherwise medium sandy brown face. Their nape and back are medium sandy brown and their rump a paler sandy brown. Their wings and tail are dusky brown. Their underparts are a paler sandy brown than their back. They have a dark iris, a blackish bill, and blackish legs and feet.
The drab water tyrant is a bird of the western Amazon... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 5 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Drab Water Tyrant sighting in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve on a given day, based on 129 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 67th most-seen of the 328 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March, June, August and November–December
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Drab Water Tyrant in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in April, the lowest month.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Drab Water Tyrant sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Drab Water Tyrant sightings, Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, about 30%).
Same family: Tyrannidae
The closest relatives of the Drab Water Tyrant that you can see in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Tropical Kingbird (about 50%), Lesser Kiskadee (about 50%) and Great Kiskadee (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Drab Water Tyrant is recorded against all the birds logged in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (129 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
