The Social Flycatcher, Myiozetetes similis, is a passerine bird belonging to the vast Tyrant Flycatcher family, Tyrannidae. This species is sometimes divided, with Myiozetetes texensis ranging from Costa Rica to Mexico, and Myiozetetes similis proper found from southwest Costa Rica across South America.
Adult Social Flycatchers measure 16–18 cm in length and weigh between 24–27 grams. They exhibit a dark grey head with a striking white eyestripe and an often hidden orange to vermilion crown stripe. Their upperparts are olive-brown, while the wings and tail are brown with faint rufous fringes. The underparts are a vibrant yellow, and the throat is white. Juveniles can be identified by a paler eye mask, a less pronounced crown stripe, and chestnut fringes on their wing and tail feathers. Their call is a sharp "peeurrr," and their dawn song resembles a "chips-k’-cheery."
These birds are found in a variety of open habitats, including plantations, pastures with trees, and open woodlands.
The Social Flycatcher is a common and widespread species, with a range extending from northwestern Mexico to northeastern Peru, southern Brazil, and northwestern Argentina.
Social Flycatchers are known for perching openly on trees, from where they launch to catch insects mid-flight using a range of aerobatic maneuvers. They also hover and glean prey, consume small berries, and may forage on the ground or in shallow waters for aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles, and occasionally small fish. They have been observed foraging alongside common marmosets, possibly cooperating to flush out prey.
