Galapatours Logo without whitespace

Vermilion Flycatcher

Vermilion Flycatcher

The stunning scarlet bird of the Galápagos

What you need to know about the Vermilion Flycatcher

A highlight for bird spotters from around the world, the Galápagos Vermilion Flycatcher is a stunning bird that is instantly recognisable. There are actually two species resident in Galápagos, Darwin’s Vermilion Flycatcher, which can be found on several islands, and the San Cristobal Flycatcher, which only lives on the Galápagos Island that gives its name.

The Vermilion Flycatchers on Galápagos have been the subject of some controversy, as there have been scientific arguments as to whether they are actually separate species or merely subspecies of other Vermilion Flycatchers found in South America. Currently, the argument is being won by scientists who think the Galápagos Vermilion Flycatchers are their own distinct species.

These quick and agile little birds are very appropriately named - the males have a brilliant red breast and head, with a distinctive black “mask” and black upper body feathers. The females are rather more subtle, with brown upper body and yellow underparts.

Vermilion Flycatchers tend to perch and wait for their prey to come by before a quick darting flight to catch them. They eat flying insects and beetles and usually prefer to catch them in flight rather than on the ground. In the Galápagos, the bright red flash of the males catching prey is a wonderful sight, and photographing a Vermilion Flycatcher is one of the “must have” shots for a bird watching trip.

The best time to spot the Vermilion Flycatcher in the Galápagos is during the breeding season, which runs from December to May when insect populations are at their peak. Populations have been declining recently, mainly due to changes of land use by human activity on the inhabited islands, but also because of some introduced species, including a parasitic fly. Here at Galapatours our expert naturalist guides will ensure that you visit a wide variety of habitats on your land excursions, including the Scalesia forests favored by these stunning little birds.

Vermilion Flycatcher: Interesting facts

Female Vermilion Flycatchers are completely different, with grey-brown heads, backs and wings, a blackish tail, and a white throat

You can often see Vermilion Flycatchers perching and bobbing their tails up and down

Male Vermilion Flycatchers sing a musical song to impress potential mates

Both male and female Vermilion Flycatchers help to feed their young

Vermilion Flycatcher: Pictures from our travelers

Vermilion Flycatcher
Vermilion Flycatcher
Vermilion Flycatcher

Spots where the Vermilion Flycatcher can be observed

Our trips to spot the Vermilion Flycatcher


2024 Galapatours, a Ventura TRAVEL GmbH brand

All rights reserved

go picture

Your contact

Micaela

Book a video consultation

15min face to face consultation

go picture