Flycatchers- ORDER: Passeriformes
- FAMILY: Tyrannidae
Basic Description
This tiny gray flycatcher from the tropics acts more like a vireo, hopping between branches, than like other U.S. flycatchers that sit upright on exposed perches. If its flitting nature doesn't catch your eye, its plaintive whistles will surely catch your ear. The heart of its range is in Mexico and Central America, but the Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet barely reaches the southwestern United States, where it occurs in mesquite forests and dense woodlands near streams. Like some other flycatchers, it has a habit of flicking its tail.
More ID InfoFind This Bird
The plumage of the Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet generally doesn't light up its woodland thicket habitat. Its plaintive whistles, on the other hand, will tell you that it is near. Listen for a sad-sounding whistle and watch for a tiny gray bird hopping through branches and flicking its tail. They tend to occur at middle levels, so you don't have to look too high in the canopy to find one.
Other Names
- Mosquerito Imberbe (Spanish)
- Tyranneau imberbe (French)
- Cool Facts
- Most flycatchers have bristles at the base of their bill that some call the flycatcher's "beard." As their name implies, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulets don't have bristles around their bill.
- The oldest recorded Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet was at least 4 years and 9 months old.