Minas Gerais Tyrannulet

Overview

The Minas Gerais tyrannulet (Phylloscartes roquettei) is a near-threatened species of tyrant flycatcher. It is a monotypic bird found in eastern Brazil, with its known range expanding beyond its type locality in recent years.

Identification

• Approximately 12 cm long with a bright olive crown and upperparts.
• Underparts are bright lemon yellow featuring a vest of diffuse olive streaks on the breast and sides.
• Face is yellowish with a rufous or ochraceous wash on the forecrown and lores, plus an indistinct yellowish supercilium and whitish eye-ring.
• Song described as a 'low, rattling tjuddrrr-twit' with the first part slightly descending and the second part as a sort of full stop.

Habitat

The species inhabits a variety of landscapes, including tropical dry forest, gallery forest, and tall trees in deciduous scrublands along watercourses. Although long known only in the state of Minas Gerais, it has since been recorded in Bahia and Goiás in eastern Brazil.

Diet

This bird feeds primarily on arthropods, foraging actively in the forest's mid-story to canopy. It typically perches horizontally with its tail slightly cocked up, making short sallies to snatch or hover-glean prey from leaves and twigs, often in pairs or small family groups.

Did you know?

The bird was originally assessed as Critically Endangered in 2000, but as its range was discovered to be larger than previously thought, it was eventually downlisted to Near Threatened in 2025.