Inezia tenuirostris
The Slender-billed Inezia, *Inezia tenuirostris*, is a charmingly diminutive tyrant flycatcher, instantly recognizable by its distinctive, fine bill from which it derives its common name. Measuring a mere 10.5 to 11.5 cm in length and weighing just 7-8 grams, this small passerine sports drab yet attractive olive-green upperparts that contrast subtly with its pale yellowish underparts. Key field marks include two delicate pale wing bars, a faint pale supercilium above the eye, and the characte...
This species primarily inhabits dry scrubland, semi-open woodlands, gallery forest edges, and second growth, often favoring areas near water sources at low elevations, typically below 500 meters.
Their diet consists almost exclusively of small insects, including beetles, flies, wasps, and caterpillars, which they capture primarily by gleaning from vegetation and through short aerial hawking.
Slender-billed Inezias are diurnal birds, typically active from dawn to dusk, often observed singly or in pairs as they forage. Their primary foraging strategy involves actively gleaning small insects from the foliage of trees and shrubs, occasionally making short, agile aerial sallies to capture...
The Slender-billed Inezia has a rather disjunct but overall widespread distribution across northern South America, with two recognized subspecies. The nominate subspecies, *Inezia tenuirostris tenuirostris*, is found across northern Venezuela, the island of Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname, French Guia...
Least Concern
- The Slender-billed Inezia's exceptionally fine bill is a key adaptation, allowing it to precisely pluck small insects from leaves and twigs, a foraging style distinct from many broader-billed flycatchers. - Despite its drab appearance, its persistent, high-pitched vocalizations are often the fi...