Tiny Tyrant-Manakin

Overview

The tiny tyrant-manakin, Tyranneutes virescens, is a small passerine bird in the family Pipridae. It is a year-round resident of the northern Amazon Basin and is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Approximately 7 to 8 cm in length with a dull olive body, pale grayish olive breast, and pale yellow belly.
• Males possess a mostly hidden yellow patch on the crown, which is less prominent in females.
• Features a dark iris, a dark maxilla, a paler mandible, and grayish legs and feet.
• Vocalisation described as a "high, short, nasal shiver wee-de-weet or quick better delete".

Habitat

This species inhabits the interior of humid terra firme forest in the lowlands, reaching only about 500 m in elevation. It is found from northeastern and southeastern Bolívar in Venezuela east through the Guianas and Brazil north of the Amazon River, and is seldom seen at forest edges or in clearings.

Diet

The bird feeds mostly on small fruits, supplemented by small invertebrates. It forages up to the forest's mid-story, typically gleaning food with a short sally from a perch, sometimes while briefly hovering.

Did you know?

Males perform a distinctive display flight that involves flying straight up with quick wingbeats from a high perch before plunging back down to the exact same spot.