Long-crested Pygmy Tyrant

Lophotriccus eulophotes

The Long-crested Pygmy Tyrant (*Lophotriccus eulophotes*) is a minute and energetic Neotropical passerine, belonging to the Tyrannidae family, making it a New World flycatcher. Measuring a mere 9.5-10.5 cm (3.7-4.1 in) in length and weighing just 6-7 grams, it is one of the smallest representatives of its diverse family. Its most distinctive feature, and the origin of its common name, is the prominent, pale yellow to whitish crest that can be raised, often contrasting with olive-green upperpa...

Habitat

Found in subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, often preferring dense undergrowth, secondary growth, and forest edges near water sources, typically at elevations between 200 and 1100 meters.

Diet

Mainly insectivorous, feeding on a variety of small arthropods, which it obtains primarily through active gleaning from foliage and short aerial sallies.

Behavior

This pygmy tyrant is an active, solitary bird, constantly flitting through the lower and mid-canopy vegetation. It primarily forages by sallying out from a concealed perch to snatch small insects in mid-air or gleaning them from leaves and twigs. Territorial behavior is marked by persistent, high...

Range

The Long-crested Pygmy Tyrant is endemic to the humid lowlands and foothills of eastern Peru and northern Bolivia. In Peru, its distribution extends from the lower Marañón River basin south through the departments of Amazonas, San Martín, Ucayali, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Cusco, and Puno, primarily...

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Fun Facts

- Despite its name, this pygmy tyrant is not closely related to true "tyrants" in the European sense, but rather belongs to the New World flycatcher family, Tyrannidae. - Its scientific name, *eulophotes*, is derived from Greek words meaning "beautifully crested," a direct reference to its most s...

Back to Encyclopedia