The slender-footed tyrannulet is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Region
Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland tropical moist forests across parts of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Prefers terra firme and seasonally flooded (várzea) forest, as well as edges, clearings, and secondary growth near mature forest. Most frequently found in the mid to upper canopy, where dense foliage provides foraging cover. It can also appear along river corridors and in disturbed forest mosaics.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A tiny canopy flycatcher of the Amazon Basin, the slender-footed tyrannulet often travels with mixed-species flocks, making brief sallies to snatch small insects. It was historically lumped with the Guianan tyrannulet but is now treated as a separate species. Its thin, high-pitched whistles are more often heard than the bird is seen in the leafy canopy.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small family groups and commonly joins mixed-species flocks in the canopy. Territorial displays are subtle, relying on vocalizations and brief chases. Nests are small cup structures placed on slender branches or within leafy cover during the breeding season.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched whistles and sibilant tsee notes, often in short series. Vocalizations are frequent at dawn and help reveal its presence high in the foliage.
Plumage
Olive-green upperparts with a slightly grayer head and yellowish wash below; neat, pale wingbars and narrow pale edging to wing coverts. Underparts are yellow to yellow-olive with a faint grayish tinge on the breast. Feathers are smooth and compact, aiding a sleek canopy silhouette.
Diet
Primarily gleans tiny insects and other arthropods from leaves and twigs, often making short sallies to grab prey. It probes clusters of new leaves and vine tangles where small invertebrates concentrate. May occasionally take small fruits or berries, especially in the non-breeding season, but animal prey dominates.
Preferred Environment
Feeds mainly in the mid to upper canopy of mature and secondary lowland rainforest, particularly along edges, gaps, and sunlit foliage. Also forages along river margins and in mixed-species flocks that move through canopy layers.
