Sooty-headed Tyrannulet

Overview

The sooty-headed tyrannulet (Phyllomyias griseiceps) is a small tyrant flycatcher found across parts of South and Central America. It is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its large range and tolerance of converted habitats.

Identification

• Approximately 10 cm in length with a very small, rounded black bill and black legs.
• Features a grayish to blackish crown and dull grayish olive back, contrasting with a bright yellow belly.
• White lores and supercilia frame a dark eye-stripe, while the wings are dusky with narrow whitish edges.
• Song consists of clear, short whistled notes described as 'whip, whip-di-irip' or 'whit, whit-wheeu'.

Habitat

Inhabits humid evergreen tropical forests, favoring edges, clearings, and regrowing areas rather than the forest interior. It also occupies early succession secondary forests and coffee or cacao plantations. Its distribution is highly disjunct across countries including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Diet

Primarily feeds on insects, supplemented by small amounts of fruits and berries. Forages from the mid-level to the canopy by gleaning while perched or hovering, typically alone or in pairs, though it may occasionally join mixed-species flocks near fruiting trees.

Did you know?

Very little is known about its breeding biology; only one nest has ever been documented, which was a small lichen-covered cup situated in the crotch of a branch 13 m above the ground.