The painted tody-flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and possibly Colombia.
Region
Guianas and northern Amazonia
Typical Environment
Occurs in northern South America, especially in Brazil north of the Amazon, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and eastern Venezuela, with possible occurrence in adjacent Colombia. Prefers lowland rainforest edges, riverine gallery forests, secondary growth, and shrubby clearings. Common in vine tangles and along forest margins where light gaps foster dense foliage. It is typically absent from the deep interior of tall primary forest but uses nearby edges and disturbed habitats.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 900 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A tiny, high-contrast tyrant flycatcher of the Guianan Shield, the painted tody-flycatcher is often seen in pairs actively gleaning insects from foliage. It has a notably flat, broad bill adapted for snatching small prey at close range. Like many tody-flycatchers, it builds a pendant, purse-like nest with a side entrance suspended from thin branches or vines. Its sharp, high-pitched calls help birders locate it in dense edge vegetation.
Temperament
active and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with frequent short sallies
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or family groups maintaining small territories along edges and thickets. Nests are pendant, purse-shaped structures suspended from slender branches or vines, with a side entrance. It may join mixed-species flocks briefly but often forages on its own or with a mate.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched whistles and sharp chips, often in short series. The song can be a rapid, squeaky sequence that carries surprisingly well in dense vegetation.
Plumage
A small, compact flycatcher with a smooth, glossy look; upperparts dark and contrasting with bright underparts. Wings show pale wingbars and edging, and the bill is short, broad, and flattened. The overall effect is strikingly patterned, befitting its common name.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small insects and other arthropods, including flies, beetles, and spiders. Forages by gleaning from leaves and twigs, hover-gleaning to pick prey off foliage, and making short sallies to capture flying insects. Its broad, flattened bill helps it seize tiny prey efficiently among dense leaves.
Preferred Environment
Most often forages in the understory to mid-story of forest edges, riverine thickets, and secondary growth. Frequently works vine tangles, young trees, and sunlit gaps where insect activity is high.
