Variegated Flycatcher

Variegated Flycatcher

Empidonomus varius

Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Iguaçu National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%

229 Verified sightings at Iguaçu National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,319 In all 17 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Variegated Flycatcher

The variegated flycatcher (Empidonomus varius) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found on Trinidad and in every mainland South American country except Chile. In addition it has been documented as a vagrant in several U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario.

The variegated flycatcher was formally described in 1818 as Muscicapa varia by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot. He based his account on "Del Chorreado debaxo" from Paraguay that had been described in 1805 by the Spanish naturalist Félix de Azara. The variegated flycatcher is now placed together with the crowned slaty flycatcher in the genus Empidonomus that was introduced in 1860 by the German ornithologists Jean Cabanis and Ferdinand Heine.

Two subspecies are recognised: The variegated flycatcher is 18 to 19 cm (7.1 to 7.5 in) long and weighs about 25 g (0.88 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:13

Brazil · 2026

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC1186315 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:16

Colombia · 2021

© Mauricio Cuellar Ramirez (@Birding.travel) · XC642666 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Dawn song0:43

Brazil · 2015

© Ricardo Gagliardi · XC472443 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
2 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
3 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~10%
4 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
5 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
6 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
7 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
8 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
9 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
10 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
11 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
12 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
13 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
14 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
15 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
16 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
17 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 São Luís 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
2 João Pessoa 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
3 Belém 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
4 Campo Grande 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
5 Goiânia 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
6 Curitiba 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
7 São Paulo 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
8 Campinas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
9 Manaus 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
10 Maceió 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Variegated Flycatcher in Iguaçu National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Variegated Flycatcher sighting in Iguaçu National Park on a given day, based on 229 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 158th most-seen of the 346 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Variegated Flycatcher in Iguaçu National Park?

October

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Variegated Flycatcher in Iguaçu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to September, the lowest months. That is one of Iguaçu National Park's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain against 100 mm in August.

What time of day is best to see a Variegated Flycatcher?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Variegated Flycatcher sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Which relatives of the Variegated Flycatcher live in Iguaçu National Park?

Same family: Tyrannidae

The closest relatives of the Variegated Flycatcher that you can see in Iguaçu National Park (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Great Kiskadee (about 80%), Social Flycatcher (about 40%) and Boat-billed Flycatcher (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Variegated Flycatcher sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Variegated Flycatcher is recorded against all the birds logged in Iguaçu National Park (229 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.

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