Hangnest tody-tyrant

The hangnest tody-tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is endemic to Brazil.

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Distribution

Region

Atlantic Forest, eastern Brazil

Typical Environment

Found in lowland and foothill Atlantic Forest, including primary forest, forest edges, and well-developed secondary growth. It favors dense understory with vine tangles, bamboo, and thickets. Birds often keep to shaded lower levels, moving methodically through foliage. The species persists in fragmented landscapes but relies on forested patches. Nests are typically placed hanging from slender branches, sometimes near water or in open gaps.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1200 m

Climate Zone

Subtropical

Characteristics

Size9–10.5 cm

Wing Span15–18 cm

Male Weight0.007 kg

Female Weight0.006 kg

Life Expectancy5 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 1/5

Useful to know

A tiny tyrant flycatcher of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, the hangnest tody-tyrant gets its name from its distinctive pendulous, pouch-like nest suspended from branches. It forages quietly in the shaded understory, often going unnoticed despite being fairly widespread where habitat remains. Pairs maintain small territories and are often detected by their thin, high-pitched calls.

Gallery

Behaviour

Temperament

secretive and active

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats

Social Behavior

Usually seen singly or in pairs, maintaining small territories in the understory. Pairs build a distinctive hanging, pouch-like nest from plant fibers. Both parents tend the nest and feed the young. Occasionally joins mixed-species flocks at low levels.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Gives thin, high-pitched tsee and tsi notes, often in short series. Song is a delicate, accelerating series of ticks or high trills that can be ventriloquial in dense foliage.

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Identification

Leg Colordark grey

Eye Colordark brown

Plumage

Dull olive-green upperparts with a grayish-olive head, whitish throat, and yellowish to olive-washed underparts. Two narrow buff wingbars on dusky wings; short tail. Underparts lightly washed yellow, with subtle streaking or shading on breast in some individuals.

Feeding Habits

Diet

Feeds mainly on small insects and other arthropods, gleaned from leaves, twigs, and vine tangles. It makes short sallies to snatch prey and also picks from the undersides of foliage. Spiders and tiny beetles, flies, and caterpillars form much of the diet. Foraging is deliberate and low to mid-level within dense cover.

Preferred Environment

Dense understory of evergreen forest, edges, and mature secondary growth. Often near bamboo or vine-rich thickets and occasionally along shaded trails and stream margins.

Population

Total Known Populationunknown

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