Zimmerius villarejoi
The Mishana Tyrannulet (*Zimmerius villarejoi*) is a diminutive and relatively recently described songbird, measuring approximately 9.5-10.5 cm (3.7-4.1 inches) in length and weighing around 6-8 grams. Its plumage is characterized by olive-green upperparts, a contrasting grayish head and nape, and pale yellow underparts, which transition to a brighter yellow on the belly and crissum. Distinctive field marks include an often-inconspicuous whitish lore and supercilium that can be hard to discer...
This tyrannulet exclusively inhabits humid lowland evergreen forests, showing a strong preference for white-sand (varillal) forests and adjacent riparian growth, typically at elevations below 200 meters.
Its diet consists primarily of small arthropods, including insects and their larvae, which it gleans from leaves and twigs within the forest canopy.
Active during daylight hours, the Mishana Tyrannulet is a primarily arboreal species, foraging deliberately within the canopy and subcanopy layers of its specialized forest habitat. It employs a foraging strategy of gleaning insects and larvae directly from foliage and small branches, occasionall...
The Mishana Tyrannulet is critically endemic to a tiny, isolated region within the Loreto Department of northeastern Peru. Its known distribution is centered primarily between the Nanay and Mazán Rivers, immediately north and east of the city of Iquitos, with some peripheral records extending tow...
Endangered
- The Mishana Tyrannulet was only formally described to science in 2008, making it one of the more recent avian discoveries in the highly biodiverse Amazon basin. - It is named after Mario Villarejo, a Peruvian ornithologist who played a key role in its discovery and conservation efforts. - This ...