Hemitriccus josephinae
The Boat-billed Tody-Tyrant (Hemitriccus josephinae) is a diminutive yet distinctive member of the tyrant flycatcher family (Tyrannidae), recognized for its remarkably broad, flattened bill. Measuring approximately 10-11 cm in length and weighing around 7-9 grams, it exhibits typical tody-tyrant morphology: olive-green upperparts, a paler throat and chest often streaked with yellowish, and a creamy belly. A striking, broad white eye-ring stands out against its olive head, serving as a key ide...
This species primarily inhabits the understory and mid-story of humid lowland evergreen forests, including both terra firme and seasonally flooded varzea forests, typically at elevations below 500 meters.
The Boat-billed Tody-Tyrant is insectivorous, feeding primarily on small arthropods such as beetles, flies, and spiders, which it captures by sally-gleaning or sally-striking from vegetation.
Boat-billed Tody-Tyrants are diurnal and generally solitary or found in pairs, often joining mixed-species foraging flocks in the forest understory. They are sit-and-wait predators, perching quietly for extended periods before making quick, agile sallies to capture insects from the underside of l...
The Boat-billed Tody-Tyrant is endemic to the Guiana Shield region of northern South America. Its primary range encompasses Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, extending into adjacent northern Brazil. In Brazil, its distribution includes the states of Amapá and northeastern Pará, generally north...
Least Concern
- Its remarkably broad, flattened bill, resembling a tiny boat or shovel, is a unique adaptation for its specialized foraging technique of snatching insects mid-air from foliage. - Despite its 'boat-billed' name, its genus *Hemitriccus* literally means 'half-tody' in Greek, referring to its close...