Short-tailed pygmy tyrant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Short-tailed pygmy tyrant |
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| At Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil | |
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| Genus: |
Myiornis
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| Species: |
ecaudatus
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The short-tailed pygmy tyrant (scientific name: Myiornis ecaudatus) is a tiny bird. It belongs to a group called tyrant-flycatchers. This amazing bird is one of the smallest birds on Earth! It's also the smallest type of passerine bird, which means it's a "perching bird." Only its cousin, the black-capped pygmy tyrant, is close in size. You can find the short-tailed pygmy tyrant all over the Amazon area in northern and central South America.
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Where Does This Tiny Bird Live?
This bird lives in tall, wet forests. Sometimes, you might see it in more open woodlands. It especially likes areas where trees have fallen. It also enjoys tall trees in clearings. You can find it from sea level up to about 750 meters (2,460 feet) high. This bird is quite common in its home range. But it's easy to miss because its voice sounds more like an insect or a frog!
What Does the Short-Tailed Pygmy Tyrant Look Like?
The short-tailed pygmy tyrant is truly a "pygmy" (very small) bird. Only a few of the smallest hummingbirds are tinier. This bird is about 6.5 centimeters (2.6 inches) long. It weighs around 4.2 grams, which is less than a nickel!
Its beak is thin but looks big for its tiny body. Its tail is super short, almost like it's not there. The top of its head is gray. It has dark patches near its eyes, making it look like it's wearing white "spectacles." Its back is a bright olive-green color. Its wings and tail are black and don't have any stripes.
The bird's belly is yellowish-white. It has light olive smudges on its chest and sides. The inner feathers on its wings have yellow edges. Both male and female birds look alike. Even though its feathers are similar to some other flycatchers, people often mistake this bird for a large beetle or insect, especially when it's flying!
What Sounds Does It Make?
The short-tailed pygmy tyrant has a high-pitched song. It's a series of up to 15 c'r'eek notes. At first, the notes are slow, then they speed up and get a little lower. It also has a cr'e'e'e', k'e'e'e'e song that it repeats a lot.
You might also hear chirpy squeaks. These sound like a "bird squeaker" toy. It also makes a soft, purring sound with trilled notes. These are lower in pitch than its other calls. In general, the sounds this bird makes don't really sound like a bird. They are more like the noises crickets or small frogs make!
How Does It Behave?
The nest of this bird is a ball made of moss and fibers. It has an entrance on the side. The nest is quite large for such a small bird! You can find it anywhere from 1 to 8 meters (3 to 26 feet) high in a tree. It's never near the very top of the tree. The female lays two eggs. They are white with brownish or cinnamon spots.
The short-tailed pygmy tyrant likes to catch its food by hovering. It "gleans" (picks) insects from under leaves. It does this in the middle part of the forest. Its flight movements are very quick and jerky. This makes it look even more like an insect! These sudden movements make it hard to follow, even if you see it. This tiny bird also sometimes catches insects in the air after staying very quiet.
