White-browed Purpletuft

Overview

The white-browed purpletuft (Iodopleura isabellae) is a small species of bird belonging to the family Tityridae. It is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, although its population is believed to be decreasing despite a very large range.

Identification

• Measures 11 to 12 cm in length and weighs approximately 20 g.
• Features blackish brown upperparts with white lores, a white stripe behind the eye, a white 'moustache', and a white throat.
• Males possess a small tuft of violet feathers on the upper flank, whereas females have white tufts.
• Displays a wide bill with a hooked tip and a song described as an "extr. high, upslurred seewee or single see".

Habitat

This species inhabits the canopy and edges of humid evergreen forest and secondary woodland within the Amazon Basin. Its range extends from southeastern Colombia through eastern Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela into Brazil and northern Bolivia.

Diet

The bird feeds primarily on insects, capturing them in mid-air with a sally from a treetop, and also consumes fruit, favouring the berries of mistletoe. Foraging is typically conducted in pairs or occasionally in small groups.

Did you know?

The one described nest was a tiny cup constructed from plant fibers and held together with much spider web, positioned approximately 18 m above the ground in the crown of a dead tree.