Guatemalan Tyrannulet
A species of Zimmerius Tyrannulets, Also known as Paltry Tyrannulet Scientific name : Zimmerius vilissimus Genus : Zimmerius Tyrannulets
Guatemalan Tyrannulet, A species of Zimmerius Tyrannulets
Also known as:
Paltry Tyrannulet
Botanical name: Zimmerius vilissimus
Genus: Zimmerius Tyrannulets
Content
Description
Photo By gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K , used under CC-BY-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
The Guatemalan tyrannulet or paltry tyrannulet (Zimmerius vilissimus), is a very small passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. It occurs in southern Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and southern Belize. It was formerly considered to be conspecific with the mistletoe tyrannulet (Zimmerius parvus). The Guatemalan tyrannulet is a common bird from the lowlands to 2,600 m (8,500 ft) altitude, mainly in humid regions. It can be found in forests, second growth, pasture and plantations with trees, and shady gardens. The nest is roughly spherical with a side entrance and made of mosses and lined with plant fibre; it may be built amongst mosses or dangling epiphyte roots, inside a large dead leaf, or inside or below a yellow-olive flycatcher's pendant nest. It is constructed 2–15 m above the ground. The typical clutch is two rufous-marked dull white eggs. Incubation by the female is 14–15 days to hatching, with another 17 days to fledging. The Guatemalan tyrannulet is 11–12 cm (4.3–4.7 in) in length. The upperparts are olive-green other than a dull grey crown to the head and grey supercilia. The wings are blackish with yellow feather edging but no wing bars, and the longish tail is dusky. The throat and breast are off-white with grey streaking, the belly is white, and the flanks have a dull yellow-green cast. The long legs are blackish. The sexes are similar, but young birds have an olive crown, yellow-tinged supercilia and broader but paler wing bars. The call is a loud peeer and the dawn song is a plaintive yer-de-dee, yer-de-dee. The Guatemalan tyrannulet is an active bird, usually seen alone or in pairs high in trees. It eats mainly mistletoe, but also other berries and small insects, all taken in flight in short sallies from a perch.
Size
10 cm
Feeding Habits
Guatemalan Tyrannulet, primarily consumes a varied diet of insects and invertebrates, supplemented by fruits. Employing active foraging methods, it gleans prey from foliage. Unique adaptations include a specialized bill for capturing specific prey types.
Habitat
The guatemalan Tyrannulet is typically found in a range of evergreen forest habitats. Its presence spans over broader geographical tropics and subtropics, favoring regions with sparsely forested areas and landscapes mosaic with pastures, fields, and interspersed woody vegetation such as trees and shrubs. A distinct preference for environments abundant in mistletoes suggests an ecological need for these parasitic plants, possibly related to foraging and nesting.
Dite type
Insectivorous
Photo By gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K , used under CC-BY-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Perching birds Family
Tyrant flycatchers Genus
Zimmerius Tyrannulets Species
Guatemalan Tyrannulet