Northern beardless tyrannulet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern beardless tyrannulet |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Camptostoma
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| Species: |
imberbe
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The northern beardless tyrannulet (scientific name: Camptostoma imberbe) is a tiny songbird. It belongs to the tyrant flycatcher family. These birds live in warm areas. You can find them from the southwestern United States down through Mexico and Central America. Their range goes all the way to northwestern Costa Rica.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The northern beardless tyrannulet is a very small bird. It is about 10.2 centimeters (4 inches) long. It weighs only about 7.5 grams (0.26 ounces). That's less than a pencil!
Its Colors and Features
- Head: Its head is dark brown. It has a special crest that can stand up. There's also a pale stripe above its eye, called a supercilium.
- Body: Its upper body is grey-green. This color gets lighter near its tail.
- Wings: Its wings are brown. The edges of its feathers are yellow. It also has two whitish stripes on its wings.
- Tail: The tail is brown.
- Underparts: Its throat is grey. Its chest is yellowish, and its belly is bright yellow.
- Beak: Its beak is a pretty pinkish color.
Both male and female northern beardless tyrannulets look very similar. They are not as bright as their close relative, the southern beardless tyrannulet. Even their wing stripes are less noticeable.
Where Do They Live?
These little birds like places with trees. You can find them in light forests. They also live in gardens and farm areas that have trees. They prefer warm climates.
Nesting and Life Cycle
Northern beardless tyrannulets build a special nest. It is shaped like a dome. They make it from plant fibers or leaves. The nest has an entrance on the side. They usually place their nest in the fork of a tree branch.
Eggs and Young Birds
A female tyrannulet usually lays two white eggs. These eggs have reddish and purplish spots. The spots are mostly at the wider end of the egg. The mother bird sits on the eggs for about 14 to 15 days. This is called incubation. After the eggs hatch, the young birds stay in the nest for about 17 more days. Then they are ready to fly!
What Do They Eat?
Northern beardless tyrannulets are very active birds. They are always looking for food. They eat mostly insects and spiders. They also enjoy eating berries. They hunt for food in a way similar to vireos or warblers. They move quickly through the branches to catch their prey.
Sounds and Behavior
These birds have a loud, clear call. It sounds like a whistle: Fleeeeeerrr. Sometimes, they break it up into a fleeer-it or a quick flee-flee-flee-flee.
When they are trying to attract a mate, or if they feel scared, they do some interesting things. They raise their crests. They also flick their tails. And they make an excited call to show how they feel.
See also
In Spanish: Mosquerito imberbe para niños
