Buff-banded Tyrannulet

Overview

The buff-banded tyrannulet (Mecocerculus hellmayri) is a species of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. It is assessed as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN and is considered rare in Peru and uncommon in Bolivia and Argentina.

Identification

• Approximately 11 cm long and weighing 10–11 g, with medium gray legs and a thin, pointed black bill.
• Adult plumage features a medium gray crown, a thin white supercilium, and a faint blackish eye stripe on a whitish face.
• Upperparts are greenish olive with an ochraceous olive rump; wings show two pale buff bars on the coverts, and the belly is yellowish white.
• Vocalisation consists of a plaintive, slightly falling 'pseee' or 'psee-psee-psee' call lasting two to five notes.

Habitat

The species inhabits humid montane evergreen forest, including mossy cloud forest and Podocarpus forest, in the subtropical zone. Its range extends from northern Peru through Bolivia into northwestern Argentina, occurring between 1,100 and 2,600 m in Bolivia and 1,500 to 2,300 m in Argentina.

Diet

Specific dietary details are not documented, but the bird typically forages in the forest's mid-story and canopy, mostly by gleaning from leaves and twigs while perched. It often joins mixed-species feeding flocks, although it may also forage singly.

Did you know?

Although believed to be a year-round resident in much of its range, it may function as a non-breeding migrant in Peru. A juvenile was recorded in Bolivia in May, but almost nothing else is known about the species' breeding biology.