Phylloscartes ventralis
The Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, *Phylloscartes ventralis*, is a diminutive and highly active neotropical passerine, a jewel of the humid montane forests of South America. Typically measuring 11-12 cm (4.3-4.7 inches) in length and weighing around 8-10 grams, its small stature belies its vibrant presence. The plumage is characterized by a bright olive-green back and wings, contrasting sharply with a yellowish belly and breast. Its defining and namesake feature is the finely mottled or streaked ...
Occupies humid montane and foothill forests, forest borders, and secondary growth, typically at elevations from 500 to 2,500 meters (1,600 to 8,200 feet).
Primarily insectivorous, consuming small arthropods gleaned from foliage and captured in short aerial sallies from a perch.
Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulets are diurnal and highly active, constantly flitting through the understory and mid-story vegetation of their forest habitats. They are primarily insectivores, foraging by gleaning small arthropods from leaves and twigs, and frequently sallying out to catch airborne prey ...
The Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet boasts a wide, though disjunct, distribution across South America. Its range extends through the Andes, occurring from western Venezuela, across the length of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and into Bolivia. A significant, geographically isolated population exists in south...
Least Concern
- Its genus name, *Phylloscartes*, combines Greek words for 'leaf' (*phyllon*) and 'leaper' (*skartes*), aptly describing its foraging style among foliage. - Despite its small size, it boasts an impressive altitudinal range, occurring from relatively low foothills up to high montane cloud forests...