The helmeted pygmy tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Region
Amazon Basin and Guianan Shield
Typical Environment
Occurs widely in lowland humid forests of Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. It favors terra firme and seasonally flooded (várzea) forests, as well as edges, vine tangles, and tall second growth. Most activity is within the shaded understory, usually below mid-canopy levels. It avoids very open habitats and heavily urbanized areas, persisting best where dense understory vegetation remains.
Altitude Range
0–900 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
One of the smallest tyrant flycatchers, the helmeted pygmy tyrant is named for its tiny erectile crown that can give a helmeted look but is often kept flattened and hidden. It is notoriously inconspicuous, favoring dense understory tangles where it forages quietly at low heights. Despite its size, it can be quite territorial and may join mixed-species flocks moving through the forest.
Temperament
skulking and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief sallies from low perches
Social Behavior
Usually solitary or in pairs within small territories in the understory. Joins mixed-species understory flocks on occasion as they move through vine tangles and thickets. Nests are placed low to mid-levels in dense vegetation; both adults care for the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Voice is thin and high-pitched, a series of soft tsee or seee notes and short, insect-like trills. Phrases are often repeated from a concealed perch and can be easy to overlook amid forest background sounds.
Plumage
Compact, short-tailed flycatcher with olive-green upperparts and yellowish underparts, grayish head, and fine streaking or shading on the throat. Shows two pale wingbars and a short, broad-based bill. When raised, the small rufous to orange crown patch gives a helmeted appearance.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small insects and other arthropods, including flies, leafhoppers, beetles, and spiders. Forages by gleaning from leaves and twigs and by making short sallies to snatch prey from the air. Often hunts low in shaded areas where prey concentrates on foliage and vine tangles.
Preferred Environment
Dense understory, vine tangles, bamboo patches, and forest edge thickets within humid lowland forest. Will use tall secondary growth and riparian corridors where cover is ample.
