Slender-footed Tyrannulet

Overview

The slender-footed tyrannulet (Zimmerius gracilipes) is a species of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae. It is a small, year-round resident of the upper Amazon Basin, classified by the IUCN as being of Least Concern.

Identification

• Measures 9 to 12 cm in length and weighs between 6.6 and 9.5 g.
• Features a thin whitish supercilium and a dark eye-stripe on an otherwise yellowish-white face.
• Displays a dull olive back, dusky wings with yellow edges, and yellow underparts.
• Possesses a small, rounded, black bill and dark grayish legs.

Habitat

Found across the upper Amazon Basin in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. It inhabits humid tropical and lower montane forests, occupying both terra firme and várzea landscapes, as well as secondary forest and adjacent farmland. Typically found in the canopy, clearings, and edges, usually below 500 m, though it can reach up to 2,000 m in Venezuela.

Diet

Feeds on insects and small fruits, particularly those of mistletoes. It forages singly or in pairs, and occasionally joins mixed-species flocks, actively gleaning food while perched or in short flights primarily in the forest canopy.

Did you know?

The species is likely frequently overlooked by observers because it resides predominantly in the high forest canopy. Its dawn song varies by subspecies, described as a 'soft, querulous, semimusical' 'peeu, tri-ri-ri' in the nominate and an 'accelerating, monotone' 'chew-chu-chi'chi' in Z. g. gilvus.