Black-capped Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias nigrocapillus)

Identification & Behavior: ~11 cm (4.3 in). The Black-capped Tyrannulet has olive back with a black crown. It has a pale or grayish eyebrow bordered below by a dusky stripe. The bill is black and short. It has a black ear patch. The wing coverts are black with creamy white wing bars. The throat is grayish and grades to yellow-olive on the breast and to yellow towards the rest of the underparts. It forages in the canopy and sub-canopy of humid montane forests often in the company of mixed species flocks. It is similar to the Ashy-headed Tyrannulet but is distinguished by having a black cap and pale wing bars on black wing coverts and by ranging at higher elevations. Also, see Plumbeous-crowned Tyrannulet.

Status: The Black-crowned Tyrannulet is uncommon in montane forests of the east slope of the Andes at elevations ranging between 1700-3100 m. It also occurs in Co and Ec.

Name in Spanish: Moscareta de Gorro Negro.

Sub-species: Black-capped Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias nigrocapillus nigrocapillus), (Lafresnaye), 1845.

Meaning of Name: Phyllomyias: Gr. phullon=  leaf and myias=  flycatcher. nigrocapillus: L. niger=  black and capillus= capped.

See more of the Family Tyrannidae