Drab-breasted Bamboo Tyrant

Overview

The drab-breasted bamboo tyrant (Hemitriccus diops) is a small species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is a year-round resident found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, where it is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.

Identification

• Approximately 11 cm long with a weight of 9.5 to 13.5 g.
• Adults feature a plain dark olive-green crown, back, and rump, with a white spot above the lores and a white eye-ring on an olive-green face.
• The throat and breast are dull gray with a pinkish or purplish tinge, separated by a faint white crescent, while the belly is whitish.
• Vocalisations include a very high, upslurred, scratchy 'krrru' resembling a mini-rattle, along with 'bit' or 'bit-biwít' sounds.

Habitat

Found in east-central Brazil, eastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina, this species inhabits the interior and edges of humid primary and mature secondary forests. It almost exclusively occupies patches of bamboo at elevations ranging from near sea level to about 1,300 m.

Diet

This bird feeds on insects, typically foraging singly or in pairs within thick undergrowth. It employs short upward sallies from a perch to glean prey from vegetation and rarely joins mixed-species feeding flocks.

Did you know?

Its nest is a purse-like structure with a side entrance, made mostly from green mosses and plant fibers including fungal rhizomorphs, and has been subject to brood parasitism by the pavonine cuckoo.