Camptostoma imberbe
The Northern Beardless Tyrannulet (*Camptostoma imberbe*) is a diminutive and often understated avian gem, measuring a mere 10.5-12 cm in length and weighing 7-9 g, with a wingspan of 16-18 cm. Its plumage is subtly beautiful, featuring olive-grey upperparts, a paler, often yellowish-washed belly, and two faint whitish wingbars on dark wings. A prominent pale eye-ring and a small, somewhat flattened head with a short bill are key identification marks, along with the lack of noticeable rictal ...
This species thrives in arid and semi-arid scrub, riparian woodlands, mesquite thickets, thorn forests, and open deciduous woodlands, typically found from sea level up to 2,000 meters in elevation.
Its diet primarily consists of small insects such as leafhoppers, beetles, flies, wasps, and caterpillars, supplemented with small berries and fruits, especially during non-breeding seasons.
The Northern Beardless Tyrannulet is a highly active and agile insectivore, primarily foraging by gleaning small insects from leaves and twigs, often hanging upside down like a chickadee. It also employs hover-gleaning and short sally-gleaning flights to snatch prey from the air or foliage. Males...
The Northern Beardless Tyrannulet boasts a wide distribution across the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America. Its breeding range extends from extreme southeastern California (a very rare occurrence), southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and western to central and southern Tex...
Least Concern
- It is the smallest flycatcher regularly found breeding in the United States, often weighing less than a quarter of an ounce. - Its scientific name 'imberbe' comes from Latin, meaning 'beardless', referring to the absence of prominent rictal bristles around its beak. - Despite its small size, it...