The Maranon tyrannulet or Marañon tyrannulet is a species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Ecuador and Peru.
Region
Marañón River basin (northern Peru and southern Ecuador)
Typical Environment
Occupies seasonally dry intermontane valleys, deciduous scrub, riparian thickets, and edges of dry to semi-humid forests. Also uses secondary growth, hedgerows, and lightly wooded agricultural mosaics. Most frequently seen in the midstory to canopy where it gleans and sallies for insects. It is patchy but can be locally common where intact dry forest remains.
Altitude Range
400–2000 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Marañon tyrannulet is a small, active tyrant flycatcher restricted to the inter-Andean Marañón basin of northern Peru and adjacent southern Ecuador. It is often detected by its thin, high-pitched calls and may join mixed-species flocks in dry forests. It is easily confused with other yellow-olive tyrannulets; voice and the clean yellow underparts with pale wingbars help separate it. Habitat loss in dry valleys is a concern locally, but the species remains fairly widespread within suitable habitat.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with quick sallies
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups and frequently associates with mixed-species flocks. Territorial during the breeding season, with pairs maintaining small home ranges. Nests are small, well-concealed cups or pouches placed in shrubs or low trees; both parents attend the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Voice is a series of very high, thin whistles and buzzy trills, often delivered from midstory perches. Calls include sharp tsit notes and short, sibilant phrases that carry surprisingly far in dry forest.
Plumage
Olive-green upperparts with dusky wings edged yellowish; underparts yellow to yellow-washed with paler throat. Two pale wingbars and a faint crest give a slightly tufted look. Overall appearance is clean yellow below with olive upperparts.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small insects and other arthropods, gleaned from foliage and twigs. Often uses short sallies to snatch prey from the air or from the underside of leaves. May occasionally take tiny berries, especially in the dry season when insects are less active.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the midstory to canopy of dry and semi-humid forests, along forest edges, and in second growth. Readily uses riparian corridors and shrubby slopes where insect activity is concentrated.
