The Tropical Royal Flycatcher catches flying insects in forest undergrowth and at woodland edges near streams. Its crest usually lies flat but opens into a fan, scarlet in males and yellow in females.
It is about 16 cm long, brown above and dull yellow below, with a cinnamon rump and tail and a small whitish throat patch. The male’s crest is scarlet and the female’s yellow, with black and steel-blue tips; the crest usually lies flat but opens into a forward-facing fan.
It ranges from Mexico through Central America to Panama, with separate populations in northern and western parts of South America and the Amazon region. It favors forest undergrowth and woodland edges, especially near small streams, and eats insects, particularly flying insects.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.