The white-fronted tyrannulet is a species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.
Region
Central America and Northern Andes
Typical Environment
Occurs from Costa Rica and Panama south through the Andes of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and into Bolivia. Prefers humid montane cloud forests, forest edges, and adjacent secondary growth with abundant epiphytes. Often found along ridges, in elfin forest, and in forest-edge thickets. Frequently associates with mixed flocks in the midstory to canopy.
Altitude Range
800–3000 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A tiny, hyperactive tyrant flycatcher of montane forests, the white-fronted tyrannulet often joins mixed-species flocks and forages restlessly among mossy branches. Its namesake white forecrown patch can be subtle but flashes when the feathers are raised. It typically inhabits cloud forests from Central America into the northern Andes. Subtle vocalizations—thin, high notes and brief trills—are key to detecting it in dense foliage.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually forages in pairs or small family groups and regularly joins mixed-species flocks. Nests are small cups placed on branches or in forks, often well concealed among mosses and epiphytes. Both parents typically participate in provisioning the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched tseet notes and brief buzzy trills, often repeated in quick series. Calls are subtle but frequent, aiding contact within pairs and flocks.
Plumage
Olive-green upperparts with paler yellowish underparts and grayish wash on the chest; two whitish wingbars and dusky wings. Forehead shows a small, sometimes concealed white frontal patch; subtle pale supercilium. Tail is dark with narrow pale edges; overall plumage soft and slightly fluffy in cool, humid habitats.
Diet
Feeds primarily on small insects and other arthropods, gleaning from foliage and twigs and making short sallies to snatch prey. Probes among mosses, lichens, and epiphytes where small invertebrates abound. Will occasionally take tiny berries or seeds, but animal prey dominates.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the midstory to canopy of humid montane forests, especially along edges, gaps, and mossy limbs. Also uses secondary growth and roadside vegetation near intact forest.
