Sooty-headed Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias griseiceps)

Identification & Behavior: ~10 cm (4 in). The Sooty-headed Tyrannulet has olive back with a gray crown. It has a pale eyebrow, pale but poorly defined eye-ring and light gray sides of the head. It has a dusky stripe from the base of the bill through the eye. The bill is black. The wing coverts are gray faintly edged with brown. The throat is grayish and grades to 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, and tall second growth. It is similar to the Sclater’s Tyrannulet but is distinguished by having no defined wing bars, a black bill, and a dusky stripe through the eye.

Status: The Sooty-headed Tyrannulet is uncommon and very local. Its distribution is still poorly understood. It ranges at elevations of about 1500 m. It also occurs in Co, Ec, and Br.

Name in Spanish: Moscareta de Cabeza Tiznada.

Sub-species: Sooty-headed Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias griseiceps), (P. L. Sclater and Salvin) 1871.

Meaning of Name: Phyllomyias: Gr. phullon=  leaf and myias=  flycatcher. griseiceps: L. griseum=  grey and ceps= headed.

See more of the Family Tyrannidae