Brown-crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus tyrannulus

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
GenusMyiarchus (Myiarchus Flycatchers)
SpeciesMyiarchus tyrannulus (Brown-crested Flycatcher)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Joshua Tree National Park

1 Verified sightings at Joshua Tree National Park From 2019 to 2026

12,915 Verified sightings across all 53 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Brown-crested Flycatcher

The brown-crested flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus) is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is found from the southwestern United States south through Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica; on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Trinidad, and Tobago; and in every mainland South American country except Chile and possibly Ecuador.

The brown-crested flycatcher has a complicated taxonomic history. Its formal description is credited to Statius Müller in his 1776 supplement to earlier work by Carl Linnaeus and Martinus Houttuyn. He coined the binomial Muscicapa tyrannulus, placing it in the Old World flycatcher family.

As of 2025 the brown-crested flycatcher has these seven subspecies: M. t. magister Ridgway, 1884 M. t. cooperi Baird, SF, 1858 M. t. cozumelae Parkes, 1982 M. t. insularum Bond, J, 1936 M. t. brachyurus Ridgway, 1887 M. t. tyrannulus (Statius Müller, 1776)

M. t. bahiae Berlepsch & Leverkühn, 1890 Subspecies M. t. magister was originally named M. mexicanus magister. Subspecies M. t. cooperi and M. t. brachyurus were both originally described as full species in genus Myiarchus. M. t. bahiae was originally named M. t. chlorepiscius... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park

Myiarchus cinerascens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Sayornis nigricans

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Sayornis saya

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Pyrocephalus rubinus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Tyrannus verticalis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Tyrannus tyrannus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Empidonax difficilis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Contopus sordidulus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Empidonax wrightii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Empidonax traillii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Empidonax hammondii

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
2	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
3	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~30%
4	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
5	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
6	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~30%
7	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
8	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
9	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
10	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
11	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~20%
12	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
13	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
14	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
15	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
16	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
17	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
18	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
19	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
20	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
21	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~10%
22	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
23	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
24	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
25	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
26	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
27	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
28	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
29	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
30	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
31	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
32	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
33	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	<5%
34	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
35	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
36	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
37	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
38	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
39	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
40	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
41	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	<5%
42	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
43	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
44	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
45	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
46	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
47	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
48	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
49	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
50	Serra dos Órgãos National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	Insufficient data
51	Reserva de la Biosfera Mariposa Monarca	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
52	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
53	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

← Back to Joshua Tree National Park

Brown-crested Flycatcher

About the Brown-crested Flycatcher

Recent sightings of Brown-crested Flycatcher in Joshua Tree National Park

Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Black Phoebe

Say's Phoebe

Vermilion Flycatcher

Western Kingbird

Eastern Kingbird

Tropical Kingbird

Pacific-slope Flycatcher

Western Wood-Pewee

Gray Flycatcher

Willow Flycatcher

Hammond's Flycatcher

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found