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Phyllomyias
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Black-capped Tyrannulet Phyllomyias nigrocapillus Scientific name definitions

John W. Fitzpatrick
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2004

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Originally Appeared in

HBW Alive

Introduction

The Black-capped Tyrannulet is a very small flycatcher of montane northwestern South America.  Found from Venezuela south to Peru, it inhabits forest edge and scrub habitat from 1800 to 3300 meters in elevation.  The species is dark olive-brown above with a black crown and white superciliary, black wings marked with two yellow wing bars and ochre edging on the secondaries, gray throat, and pale yellow chest and belly.  Black-capped Tyrannulet can be detected easily by listening for its high, thin call which is repeated frequently.  Frequently found in mixed foraging flocks, it often twitches its wings when active.

Field Identification

11·5 cm. Nominate race has white loral spot and narrow supercilium, dark facial crescent bordered posteriorly by white; crown dark grey to blackish, sharply contrasting with bright olive upperparts; wings dusky, yellow to yellowish-white wingbars and broad edges of inner remiges; tail dusky olive; throat greyish-white, lower face grizzled whitish; breastband and flanks olive, grading to bright yellow on belly; iris dark brown; bill small and rounded, black; legs black. Sexes alike. Juvenile undescribed. Race flavimentum has deep yellow lores and supercilium, much deeper yellow underparts lacking whitish chin, richer yellow wingbars; aureus has dusky grey-brown crown, more golden overtones throughout.

Systematics History

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Long placed in Tyranniscus, along with P. cinereiceps and P. uropygialis. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Phyllomyias nigrocapillus flavimentum Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Santa Marta Mts, in N Colombia.
SUBSPECIES

Phyllomyias nigrocapillus nigrocapillus Scientific name definitions

Phyllomyias nigrocapillus nigrocapillus
P. n. nigrocapillus

Distribution

Andes of extreme W Venezuela (SW Táchira), Colombia (except Santa Marta), W and E Ecuador and NW and E Peru (on W slope S to Cajamarca, on E slope S to N Cuzco).
SUBSPECIES

Phyllomyias nigrocapillus aureus Scientific name definitions

Phyllomyias nigrocapillus aureus
P. n. aureus

Distribution

Andes of W Venezuela (S Lara S to N Táchira).

Distribution

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Habitat

Humid montane forest, especially dense, mossy cloudforest and open, mossy woodlands and edges of clearings at upper elevations, even in stunted elfin forest near tree-line; also second growth. Mostly 1600–3400 m, rarely down to c. 1000 m; 1500–3000 in Venezuela.

Movement

Presumed resident.

Diet and Foraging

Insects, small fruits. Forages alone or in pairs, usually with mixed-species flocks, in middle to upper parts of trees in densest parts of mossy forest. Very active, perches horizontally, tail often slightly cocked, flicks wings and pivots on perch while perch-gleaning in dense leaves and moss; occasionally hover-gleans, especially to pluck small berries.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Emphatic series of clear, high-pitched notes, “tzi-tzi-tzrr” or “peeep, peeeep”, often repeated persistently.

Breeding

Birds with enlarged gonads in Mar–Nov in N Colombia. No other information.

Conservation Status

Conservation status on Birdlife LC Least Concern
Not globally threatened. Rare to locally common, but perhaps often overlooked; apparently less numerous in S (Peru). Often most common near tree-line, and in S Ecuador particularly common along upper part of Loja-Zamora road. Can be found in majority of protected areas in its range. Tolerates converted habitat.
Distribution of the Black-capped Tyrannulet - Range Map
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  • Migration
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Distribution of the Black-capped Tyrannulet

eBird and Macaulay Library

Recommended Citation

Fitzpatrick, J. W. (2020). Black-capped Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias nigrocapillus), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.blctyr1.01
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