Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant
Encyclopedia
The Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant, Myiornis ecaudatus, is not only the smallest member of the tyrant-flycatcher family, but is also the smallest passerine
on earth. The Pygmy Tyrant is widespread throughout most of the Amazon
in northern and central South America
.
This bird is a resident of tall humid forests, but is occasionally found in more open woodland, specifically around treefalls and tall trees in clearings. It is fairly common through most of its range, but is easily overlooked - in part due to its insect or frog-like voice.
The Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant is truly a pygmy of a bird, with only a handful of the most lilliputian hummingbird
s measuring smaller. The average length is 6.5 cm (2.6 in) and the weight averages at 4.2 g (0.14815064084147 oz). While the bill (though slender) is disproportionately large for the size of the bird, the tail is practically non-existent. The head is gray with blackish lores and stand out white "spectacles". The back is bright olive-green, and the bar-less wings and tail are both black. The underside is yellow-tinged white, with light olive smudges on the chest and flanks, and the inner flight feathers are edged with yellow. The sexes are similar. Although the plumage is similar to some other tyrant flycatchers, especially the Slate-headed Tody-flycatcher
, in the field, the bird is more often mistaken for a large beetle or insect, especially while in flight.
The nest
, a moss and fiber ball with a side entrance, is large for the size of the bird. It may be found from 1 to 8 m (3.3 to 26.2 ft) up in the tree, and never near the canopy. 2 eggs, white overlaid with brownish or cinnamon spots, are laid.
The Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant prefers to take prey by hover-gleaning
from beneath leaves at mid-level in the forest. The flight movements have a mechanical-feel that enhances the insect comparison. The abrupt movements of these dwarves make them hard to follow even if seen. These birds also occasionally flycatch after remaining very quiet.
The song is a high pitches series of to 15 c'r'eek notes, at first hesitant, then accerlating and descending slight. There is also a cr'e'e'e', k'e'e'e'e song that is repeated over and over. Chirp-like squeaks similar to that of a well-rosined bird squeaker and a soft, purring series of trilled notes, lower in pitch than other calls. In general, the vocalizations of the Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant are all unlikely to be recognized as a bird vocalization, but are rather more like the sounds made by crickets or small frogs.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
on earth. The Pygmy Tyrant is widespread throughout most of the Amazon
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
in northern and central South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
This bird is a resident of tall humid forests, but is occasionally found in more open woodland, specifically around treefalls and tall trees in clearings. It is fairly common through most of its range, but is easily overlooked - in part due to its insect or frog-like voice.
The Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant is truly a pygmy of a bird, with only a handful of the most lilliputian hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s measuring smaller. The average length is 6.5 cm (2.6 in) and the weight averages at 4.2 g (0.14815064084147 oz). While the bill (though slender) is disproportionately large for the size of the bird, the tail is practically non-existent. The head is gray with blackish lores and stand out white "spectacles". The back is bright olive-green, and the bar-less wings and tail are both black. The underside is yellow-tinged white, with light olive smudges on the chest and flanks, and the inner flight feathers are edged with yellow. The sexes are similar. Although the plumage is similar to some other tyrant flycatchers, especially the Slate-headed Tody-flycatcher
Slate-headed Tody-flycatcher
The Slaty-headed Tody-Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family.It is found in Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela...
, in the field, the bird is more often mistaken for a large beetle or insect, especially while in flight.
The nest
Bird nest
A bird nest is the spot in which a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises its young. Although the term popularly refers to a specific structure made by the bird itself—such as the grassy cup nest of the American Robin or Eurasian Blackbird, or the elaborately woven hanging nest of the...
, a moss and fiber ball with a side entrance, is large for the size of the bird. It may be found from 1 to 8 m (3.3 to 26.2 ft) up in the tree, and never near the canopy. 2 eggs, white overlaid with brownish or cinnamon spots, are laid.
The Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant prefers to take prey by hover-gleaning
Gleaning (birds)
Gleaning is a term for a feeding strategy by birds in which they catch invertebrate prey, mainly arthropods, by plucking them from foliage or the ground, from crevices such as rock faces and under the eaves of houses, or even, as in the case of ticks and lice, from living animals. This behavior is...
from beneath leaves at mid-level in the forest. The flight movements have a mechanical-feel that enhances the insect comparison. The abrupt movements of these dwarves make them hard to follow even if seen. These birds also occasionally flycatch after remaining very quiet.
The song is a high pitches series of to 15 c'r'eek notes, at first hesitant, then accerlating and descending slight. There is also a cr'e'e'e', k'e'e'e'e song that is repeated over and over. Chirp-like squeaks similar to that of a well-rosined bird squeaker and a soft, purring series of trilled notes, lower in pitch than other calls. In general, the vocalizations of the Short-tailed Pygmy Tyrant are all unlikely to be recognized as a bird vocalization, but are rather more like the sounds made by crickets or small frogs.