Urich's tyrannulet is an Endangered species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is endemic to Venezuela.
Region
Northern Venezuela (Cordillera de la Costa)
Typical Environment
Found in humid montane cloud forests and their edges within the Cordillera de la Costa of northeastern Venezuela. It favors mature forest with abundant mosses and epiphytes, often foraging in the mid to upper canopy. The species also uses forested ravines and selectively logged or secondary growth adjacent to intact forest. Records are highly localized and scattered, reflecting both rarity and secretive canopy habits.
Altitude Range
900–1800 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Urich's tyrannulet is a tiny, canopy-dwelling flycatcher endemic to the coastal mountains of northern Venezuela and is considered Endangered. It was long elusive and has been rediscovered after periods with no confirmed records, highlighting how inconspicuous it can be. The species relies on humid montane cloud forests with rich epiphyte growth, making it highly sensitive to deforestation and habitat degradation.
Temperament
active but skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief sallies
Social Behavior
Typically encountered singly, in pairs, or as part of mixed-species canopy flocks. It forages methodically among leaves and twigs, often hover-gleaning. Nesting is poorly documented but, like other tyrannulets, likely involves a small cup nest placed in mossy forks or epiphytes; pairs probably defend small territories.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched notes and short trills, easily overlooked amid insect noise. Phrases are quick and sibilant, often delivered from the mid to upper canopy and repeated intermittently.
Plumage
Small tyrannulet with olive-green upperparts, a slightly grayer crown, and yellowish to pale whitish underparts. Wings show two narrow whitish wingbars and dusky flight feathers edged olive. The face has a subtle pale eye-ring and faint supercilium; the bill is short and slender.
Diet
Primarily takes small arthropods such as flies, beetles, caterpillars, and spiders. It gleans prey from foliage and fine twigs and occasionally hover-gleans from leaf undersides. Short sallies are used to snatch flushed insects in midair. Small fruits may be taken opportunistically but form a minor part of the diet.
Preferred Environment
Feeds mostly in the mid to upper canopy of humid montane forest, including along edges and forested ravines. It frequently joins mixed-species flocks, moving through epiphyte-laden branches where prey is abundant.
