Pelzeln's Tody-Tyrant

Overview

Pelzeln's tody-tyrant (Hemitriccus inornatus) is a species of tyrant flycatcher found in scattered locations across Brazil, Suriname, and Venezuela. It is a monotypic species that was not seen in the wild for over a century after its original description. The IUCN currently assesses its conservation status as Least Concern.

Identification

• Approximately 9 cm long with a weight of 7.7 to 9 g, featuring brownish olive plumage on the crown, back, and rump.
• Whitish lores and a thin eye-ring contrast against a brownish olive face, while the throat and underparts are mostly white with faint grayish streaking.
• Dusky olive-brown wings display two narrow wing bars formed by whitish edges on the flight feathers and coverts.
• Possesses a gray bill, gray legs and feet, and a whitish to pale gray iris.
• Song consists of a low, modest series of 7-10 well-separated notes that rise at the end and accelerate into a short, upslurred trill.

Habitat

This species inhabits woodlands growing on campinarana white-sand soils, where trees are typically stunted but may occasionally grow tall. It is distributed across scattered sites along the Negro River and its tributaries, with records also extending to Brazil's Roraima and Pará states and potentially adjacent parts of Venezuela and Colombia.

Diet

The specific diet and foraging techniques of this bird are not well known, but it is thought to consume similar prey to other members of its genus. It typically forages in the canopy and subcanopy, employing short upward sallies from a perch to capture prey from the underside of leaves.

Did you know?

After being formally described in 1868, the species was not seen again until 1992, meaning it eluded observers for more than 120 years. Its type specimen was also unusual in that it had been collected almost 40 years prior to the bird's formal scientific description.