Black-throated Tody-Tyrant Hemitriccus granadensis Scientific name definitions

Vocal and plumage differences among some of the seven currently recognized subspecies of the Black-throated Tody-Tyrant suggest that more than one species could be involved. As a whole, this tody-tyrant is found from northern Colombia south, somewhat discontinuously, to west-central Bolivia, over which distribution the species occurs in humid montane forest, often in shrubby growth at its edges, at 1800 to 3300 m at least. The Black-throated Tody-Tyrant is generally uncommon, or locally fairly common, and is characterized by its generally olive-green upperparts and crown, black throat and lower-cheek patch, pale lores, and grayish-white underparts. Like many small tyrant-flycatchers, the species’ voice draws the observer’s attention far more readily than its habits; the Black-throated Tody-Tyrant generally occurs singly or in pairs, which spend long periods perched stolidly, only occasionally making short, upward sallies within dense vegetation to seize insect prey.

8·5–10·5 cm; 6·5–8·5 g. Nominate race has crown and upperparts dark olive, whitish loral and ocular area forming broad eyering and “spectacles”; wings dark olive, indistinct yellow edging on wing-coverts (but no discrete wingbars), bend of wing bright yellow; tail dark dusky olive; upper throat and lower cheeks sooty black, lower throat whitish, laterally more grey; diffuse breastband greyish, fading to white below, tinged yellow on lower flanks and undertail-coverts; iris chestnut to pale orange, varying significantly among individuals; bill black; legs grey to pinkish grey. Sexes alike. Juvenile has dark brown iris. Race lehmanni has brighter, more yellowish-green, upperparts, buff lores and ocular area, brownish-black throat, brownish cast to breast, iris sometimes pale to whitish; intensus resembles previous, but has blacker throat with less brownish tinge, pure grey breast; federalis has whiter breast; andinus has lores buffy, breast less solidly grey; pyrrhops has ocular area deep cinnamon; caesius has eyering pale ashy grey or greyish white, smaller loral patch and less black on central throat.

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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.

Humid, mossy montane forest, stunted upper cloudforest, shrubby second growth and shrubby cloudforest borders, being often seen around overgrown landslides and other more open areas; at 1800–3300 m, mostly 2000–3000 m.

Call (nominate race) a gravelly “dut’t’t, dut’t’t”, a nasal “tip-buuuuu” and sharp “pik, peet, peet”; pyrrhops a fast, soft “whididik” and, when excited, a sharp, nasal, nagging “whip-wheép-wheép-wheép-wheép”. Dawn song “kee kee kee krrrrrrrt”, ending in hard, sharp trill. While patrolling gives short trill, “krrrt”; alarm call repeated “keep keep”, like that of a Synallaxis spinetail like. Wing-whirring in flight.

Birds with enlarged gonads in Mar–Jul in Colombia and Dec in Peru. Three nests found at three sites, two in Colombia and one in Peru (2 McCullough, J.M. and Londoño, G.A. (2017). Nesting biology of the Black-throated Tody-Tyrant (Hemitriccus granadensis) with notes on mating displays. Wilson J. Orn.. 129(4): 820–826. Close ); an enclosed “purse-like” pendant pouch inside a moss ball suspended from a small branch with a side entrance and obscured by vegetation. Two nests had a single egg, mean size 18·1 mm × 12·9 mm and mass 1·55 g, colour tan and unmarked (Colombia), but bright white with a few scattered, red specks (Peru). At one nest an egg was incubated for 19 days and nest attentiveness was 77.5%. No other information.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Uncommon to locally fairly common. Occurs in Tambito Nature Reserve, in Colombia, Podocarpus National Park, in Ecuador, and Río Abiseo National Park and Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary, in Peru. Race andinus very poorly known, until recently only definitely known from type locality in SE Peru (Puno), but also occurs in Bolivia (La Paz), where it is rare to uncommon, and somewhat local.