Ruddy Tody-Flycatcher Poecilotriccus russatus Scientific name definitions

Described from Mount Roraima, the Ruddy Tody-Flycatcher has a tiny range in the pantepui region of southernmost Venezuela, as well as adjacent Brazil and Guyana. This species prefers dense thickets in wet mossy forest, and can be fairly common in stunted woodland. It is found at 1200–2500 m, and the species’ range is fortunately as yet little affected by anthropogenic changes, except very locally. The Ruddy Tody-Flycatcher is well named, having a bright rufous face and breast, with a black crown and nape, and largely green upperparts marked by two rufous wingbars. Its natural history and behavior are still poorly known, but the species is usually found in pairs feeding low above ground on insects, and only rarely follows mixed-species flocks. The species was formerly placed in the genus Todirostrum, and forms a superspecies with the Ochre-faced Tody-Flycatcher (Poecilotriccus plumbeiceps).

Tepuis of SE Venezuela (SE Bolívar) and adjacent areas in W Guyana and N Brazil.