The white-bellied tody-tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.
Region
Southwestern Amazon Basin
Typical Environment
Occurs in lowland forests of western Brazil, eastern Peru, and northern Bolivia, favoring bamboo-dominated thickets, river-edge forests, and secondary growth. It keeps mainly to the understory and forest edges rather than the deep interior. Stands of Guadua bamboo are especially attractive, where the species can be locally numerous. It tolerates some habitat disturbance if dense understory structure remains. Along rivers and streams it uses tangles, viney thickets, and young successional patches.
Altitude Range
100–1200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A tiny tyrant flycatcher of the southwestern Amazon, the white-bellied tody-tyrant often keeps to dense bamboo and understory thickets, where it can be surprisingly hard to see. It typically forages low, making short sallies and hover-gleans to snatch small insects from leaves and twigs. Its song is a series of thin, high-pitched whistles that carry farther than you might expect from such a small bird. It is generally considered common locally where suitable bamboo and edge habitats persist.
Temperament
skulking and alert
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, often maintaining small territories within dense understory. Frequently joins mixed-species flocks moving through bamboo or shrubby edges. The nest is a small, pouch-like structure of plant fibers and rootlets, suspended low in dense vegetation with a side entrance. Both parents participate in care of the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched whistles and brief trills delivered at regular intervals. Calls include sharp tic notes and soft contact chips from within cover. The song can be ventriloquial, making the bird difficult to locate.
Plumage
Small, compact flycatcher with olive-green upperparts and a pale whitish belly contrasting with a grayish breast and throat. Wings show faint pale edging forming two subtle wingbars. Underparts are cleanest white on the lower belly and vent. Tail is short; overall appearance is neat and finely marked.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small insects and other arthropods, including flies, beetles, and spiders. Captures prey by short sallies from low perches and by hover-gleaning from leaves, stems, and bamboo culms. Will occasionally glean methodically along vines and twigs, taking tiny prey others overlook.
Preferred Environment
Forages in dense bamboo, vine tangles, river-edge scrub, and early secondary growth. Typically keeps within 1–5 meters of the ground, especially along trails, streams, and forest margins where insect activity is high.
