Uromyias agilis
The Agile Tit-Tyrant, *Uromyias agilis*, is a diminutive and dynamic passerine belonging to the Tyrannidae family, specifically the "tyrant flycatchers." Measuring approximately 11-12 cm (4.3-4.7 inches) in length and weighing around 7-8 grams (0.25-0.28 oz), it exhibits a characteristic olive-green back, a rufous rump, and bright yellow underparts, often with a white supercilium above the eye, making it a striking albeit small bird. Its slender, pointed bill is adapted for insect foraging. D...
This species primarily inhabits humid montane evergreen and cloud forests, favoring forest edges, bushy clearings, and areas with dense understory vegetation. It is typically found at high elevations, ranging from 2,000 to 3,600 meters (6,500 to 11,800 feet) above sea level.
The Agile Tit-Tyrant's diet consists almost exclusively of small insects and other arthropods, which it expertly gleans from leaves and branches or captures in agile aerial sallies. Its primary foraging method involves active searching and quick, precise movements through dense vegetation.
The Agile Tit-Tyrant lives up to its name, exhibiting remarkably active and restless daily activity, constantly flitting through the canopy and understory, often in an upright posture. It forages acrobatically, employing a variety of techniques including hovering, gleaning insects from foliage, a...
The Agile Tit-Tyrant is a resident species found exclusively along the Andes mountain range in South America. Its distribution stretches from the Central and Eastern Andes of Colombia, south through the Andes of Ecuador, and extending into the northern and central Andes of Peru. While there are n...
Least Concern
- The "tit-tyrant" in its name perfectly describes its blend of active, tit-like foraging behavior and its phylogenetic classification as a tyrant flycatcher. - Despite its small size, it is incredibly agile and acrobatic, often seen hovering like a hummingbird while picking insects from foliage....