Mecocerculus minor
The Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus minor) is a diminutive and engaging member of the Tyrannidae family, characterized by its striking bright plumage. Measuring approximately 11-12 cm (4.3-4.7 inches) in length and weighing around 7-9 grams, this small flycatcher boasts olive-green upperparts that contrast sharply with a pale grayish head and a distinct whitish supercilium. Its most notable feature, and the origin of its common name, is its vibrant sulphur-yellow underparts, particul...
Found primarily in humid montane forests, cloud forests, and their edges, as well as adjacent secondary growth. It typically inhabits elevations ranging from 1,000 to 2,500 meters.
Feeds almost exclusively on insects and other small arthropods, which it gleans from foliage or catches in short aerial sallies.
This active and restless tyrannulet is often observed foraging energetically, frequently as a core member of mixed-species flocks, particularly with other small insectivorous birds. Its foraging strategy involves active gleaning of insects and other small arthropods from leaves and twigs, often d...
The Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet is a resident species distributed continuously along the Andean mountain ranges of South America. Its range extends from the humid montane forests of central and eastern Colombia, southward through the Andes of Ecuador and Peru, culminating in western Bolivia. It is...
Least Concern
- The Sulphur-bellied Tyrannulet is a master of camouflage despite its bright belly; its olive-green back blends perfectly with the dense Andean foliage. - It is a 'suboscine' passerine, meaning its vocalizations are innate rather than learned, unlike true 'songbirds'. - This species is a frequen...