Ruddy Tody-Flycatcher

Overview

The ruddy tody-flycatcher (Poecilotriccus russatus) is a small bird species within the tyrant flycatcher family, native to the oriental tepuis of Venezuela. It is a monotypic species that forms a superspecies with the ochre-faced tody-flycatcher.

Identification

• Size: Small bird measuring 9.5 to 10.2 cm in length and weighing 6.5 to 8.3 g.
• Plumage: Males feature a cinnamon-rufous forehead and face, contrasting with a sooty-black crown; the back and tail are dark olive, while the wings display two distinct wing bars formed by cinnamon-rufous tips and greenish-yellow edges.
• Underparts: Throat and breast are a slightly paler cinnamon-rufous than the face, transitioning to a grayish belly with brownish flanks.
• Voice: Call is described as a weak, dull 'tsuk, sick, tr'r'r'r'r'r'r'r'r', occasionally followed by short bursts of trills.

Habitat

Found primarily in southeastern Bolívar state, Venezuela, with a range extending slightly into western Guyana and northern Brazil, occurring between 1,200 and 2,500 m in elevation. It inhabits the edges of humid to wet forest heavy with mosses, the undergrowth of mature secondary forest, and the edges of stunted woodlands dominated by Melastomataceae.

Diet

Feeds exclusively on insects, foraging typically in pairs and rarely joining mixed-species flocks. It forages in dense vegetation up to 2 m above the ground, taking prey from foliage with short upward or forward sallies from a perch.

Did you know?

Although the species is currently listed as Least Concern, gold-prospectors and uncontrolled tourism have recently caused severe adverse impacts on local populations, highlighting the vulnerability of tepui vegetation to fire and other disturbances.