Smoky-fronted Tody-Flycatcher

Overview

The smoky-fronted tody-flycatcher (Poecilotriccus fumifrons) is a small bird in the family Tyrannidae, commonly known as tyrant flycatchers. It is found across parts of South America, including Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname, and Venezuela. The species is currently assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, despite a believed decreasing population trend.

Identification

• A small bird approximately 9 cm long, featuring a smoky-gray forehead and an olive crown.
• Underparts are whitish on the throat, transitioning to pale yellow on the breast and belly, with faint olive streaks on the breast.
• Wings are blackish with two distinct buff-yellowish wing bars formed by the tips of the coverts.
• Song consists of an almost toneless, low-rattling 'kerrr' trill, often preceded by one to several 'tic' notes.

Habitat

Inhabits dense shrubs, thickets along forest edges, neglected pastures, clearings, and savanna bushes near forest. It occupies elevations ranging from sea level to 400 m. Its distribution is disjunct, with subspecies found in northern South America (Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela) and central and eastern Brazil.

Diet

Feeds primarily on insects, foraging typically in pairs rather than joining mixed-species feeding flocks. It mostly operates in dense vegetation, taking prey from foliage with short sallies from a perch.

Did you know?

The species' only known nest was a bag with a side entrance hanging from a branch tip about 1 m above the ground, which was found to contain two nestlings that were predated by bullet ants (Paraponera clavata).