Species

Justification
This species has a moderately small and fragmented range which is declining owing to habitat loss and degradation. Consequently it qualifies as Near Threatened.

Taxonomic source(s)
SACC. 2006. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.html.
Sibley, C. G.; Monroe, B. L. 1990. Distribution and taxonomy of birds of the world. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.
Stotz, D. F.; Fitzpatrick, J. W.; Parker, T. A.; Moskovits, D. K. 1996. Neotropical birds: ecology and conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Identification
12-12.5cm. Small white-browed chat-tyrant, greyish below and brown above, with bold rufous wing-bars. Sexes alike, juvenile undescribed. Similar spp. White-browed Chat-tyrant O. leucophrys is much larger and has weaker wing-bars, Jelski's Chat-tyrant O. jelskii has yellow rather than white frontal area. Voice Call a thin tchiitt, sometimes extending into soft, descending trill lasting 1-3 seconds tchiitt-chtt-t-t-t-t-t-t-t.

Distribution and population
Ochthoeca piurae occurs locally in the Andes of Piura south to Ancash, north-west Peru. It has been recorded in Palambla (in Piura), Porculla (Lambayeque), Samne and Sincicap (La Libertad), and Colcabamba, Wiñapatun, Noqno and San Damian (Ancash) (Fjeldså and Krabbe 1990, Fitzpatrick et al. 2004, I. Franke in litt. 2004, Valqui 2004). However, it is apparently absent from other areas in north-west Peru where appropriate habitat exists, and it has been suggested that the present distribution of the species is limited to relatively good populations in the department of Ancash and southern La Libertad and small populations around Porculla Pass and Amotape, and that the northern populations have nearly disappeared (I. Franke in litt. 2004).

Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but this species is described as uncommon, or rare and local.

Trend justification
A slow to moderate decline is suspected, based on on-going habitat loss/degradation and loss of historically occupied sites.

Ecology
Its ecological requirements are poorly known (Best and Kessler 1995). It occurs at the edge of semihumid forest, in montane scrub (Schulenberg et al. 2007), on shrubby arid hillsides, and in riparian thickets (Ridgely and Tudor 1994, Fitzpatrick et al. 2004), at 1,400-2,850 m (Schulenberg et al. 2007), occasionally to 3,300 m (Parker et al. 1996). Its diet is unknown, but is presumed to consist of insects (Fitzpatrick et al. 2004).

Threats
It is not as threatened as many forest-dependent species in the region (Stattersfield et al. 1998), but ongoing habitat clearance and degradation of montane scrub and riparian thickets, in conjunction with overgrazing, are presumably causing population declines.

Conservation actions underway
There are no protected areas within the small range of this species.

Conservation actions proposed
Survey to determine its current range, population size and ecological requirements. Research threats. Protect appropriate habitat.

References
Fjeldså, J.; Krabbe, N. 1990. Birds of the high Andes. Apollo Books, Copenhagen.

Ridgely, R. S.; Tudor, G. 1994. The birds of South America. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas.

Best, B. J.; Kessler, M. 1995. Biodiversity and conservation in Tumbesian Ecuador and Peru. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.

Parker, T. A.; Stotz, D. F.; Fitzpatrick, J. W. 1996. Ecological and distributional databases. In: Stotz, D.F.; Fitzpatrick, J.W.; Parker, T.A.; Moskovits, D.K. (ed.), Neotropical bird ecology and conservation, pp. 113-436. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.

Stattersfield, A. J.; Crosby, M. J.; Long, A. J.; Wege, D. C. 1998. Endemic bird areas of the world: priorities for bird conservation. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K.

Fitzpatrick, J. W.; Bates, J. M.; Bostwick, K. S.; Caballero, I. C.; Clock, B. M.; Farnsworth, A.; Hosner, P. A.; Joseph, L.; Langham, G. M.; Lebbin, D. J.; Mobley, J. A.; Robbins, M. B.; Scholes, E.; Tello, J. G.; Walther, B. A.; Zimmer, K. J. 2004. Family Tyrannidae (Tyrant-flycatchers). In: del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Christie, D.A. (ed.), Handbook of birds of the world, pp. 170-462. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Further web sources of information
Hear sounds for this species from xeno-canto, the community database of shared bird sounds from around the world.

View photos and videos, and hear sounds of this species from the Internet Bird Collection

Text account compilers
Isherwood, I., O'Brien, A., Sharpe, C J, Symes, A., Temple, H.

Contributors
Angulo Pratolongo, F., Franke, I., Valqui, T.

IUCN Red List evaluators
Butchart, S., Symes, A.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Ochthoeca piurae. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013. Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife

To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.