Hemitriccus furcatus
The Fork-tailed Tody-Tyrant, *Hemitriccus furcatus*, is a captivatingly small and active passerine, measuring a mere 10-11 cm (4 inches) in length, distinguished by its strikingly long, deeply forked tail, which it often holds cocked or flicks. Its plumage features olive-green upperparts, a dusky gray head, contrasting with a clean white throat and pale yellow underparts. Two faint yellowish wing-bars are also present, adding subtle detail to its appearance. This species belongs to the Tyrann...
Found primarily in subtropical and tropical moist lowland and montane forests, often preferring areas with dense understory, bamboo thickets, and forest edges, typically below 900 meters elevation.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of small insects and other arthropods, which it captures by sallying from perches or gleaning from foliage.
This active and often inconspicuous bird primarily forages during the day, either solitarily or as a member of mixed-species flocks, constantly darting about. Its foraging strategy involves short, acrobatic sallies from a low perch to snatch insects in flight, or gleaning small arthropods from le...
The Fork-tailed Tody-Tyrant is endemic to the Atlantic Forest biome of southeastern Brazil, extending from the state of Espírito Santo south through eastern Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and into northeastern Rio Grande do Sul. Its distribution also extends to e...
Near Threatened
- The Fork-tailed Tody-Tyrant's deeply forked tail, which can be almost as long as its body, is its most striking and defining feature. - Despite its name, 'tody-tyrant' refers to its small size and flycatcher-like behavior, not a direct relation to the Tody family (Todidae). - It is an 'Atlantic...