Acre Tody-Tyrant

Overview

The Acre tody-tyrant (Hemitriccus cohnhafti) is a Near Threatened species of tyrant flycatcher first described in 2013. It is found in parts of Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru, with its English name referencing the Brazilian state of Acre where it was discovered.

Identification

• Measures approximately 11 cm in length with a male weighing around 9 g.
• Features a greenish olive head and nape with darker crown streaks, tawny lores, and a cream to brownish hazel iris.
• Displays blackish wings with yellow outer and whitish inner edges on the flight feathers, plus wing coverts showing two yellowish tawny bars.
• Bill is flattish with a wide base, black with a creamy base to the mandible; legs and feet are gray.
• Song consists of a short, low-pitched trill of "tick" notes lacking introductory phrases, accompanied by occasional "skep" or "keek" calls.

Habitat

Primarily inhabits secondary forest on nutrient-poor sandy soils, often with a low canopy of under 12 m and the presence of Guadua bamboo in Brazil. The species is restricted to elevations below approximately 300 m and does not inhabit várzea or terra firme forest. It is believed to be a year-round resident.

Diet

Feeds on arthropods foraged mostly in thick undergrowth 1 to 4 m above the ground. It forages by making short upward sallies from a perch to glean prey from the underside of vegetation and does not join mixed-species feeding flocks.

Did you know?

The scientific name cohnhafti honours Mario Cohn-Haft in recognition of his numerous contributions to understanding the avifauna of Amazonian Brazil.