Greenish Tyrannulet

Overview

The greenish tyrannulet (Phyllomyias virescens) is a species of tyrant flycatcher that inhabits humid evergreen and secondary forests in South America. It is a small, monotypic bird that has been assessed as being of Least Concern by the IUCN, although its population is believed to be decreasing.

Identification

• Length of 12 to 13.5 cm with a weight of 10 to 12 g, featuring bright olive upperparts and yellow underparts with faint olive streaks.
• Distinctive white lores and supercilium contrasted by an olive line through the eye and whitish ear coverts with faint darker speckles.
• Dusky wings displaying two pale yellowish bars on the closed wing, a dusky tail, and a short stubby brown to blackish bill with a brownish white base.
• Song described as a high, sharp, nervous twittering almost-trill, often transcribed as 'chk-chk-chk-chk-chk-cheee-eeee-eeee-eeee-chu-choo', alongside a low, chattered 'piurrr'.

Habitat

Found in the interior and edges of humid evergreen and secondary forests within the tropical and subtropical zones, reaching elevations up to 1,000 m. Its range covers southern Brazil, southeastern Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina, with rare vagrant records in Uruguay.

Diet

The specific diet and foraging behaviour of the greenish tyrannulet have not been studied, though it is known to forage at all levels of the forest, sometimes as low as 2 m above the ground.

Did you know?

The species' purse-like nest, which is suspended from a branch low to the ground and constructed from moss, is unique among flycatchers for its side entrance. Breeding occurs in October and November, with a clutch of two eggs, though details regarding incubation and parental care remain unknown.