Serra do Mar Bristle-Tyrant Pogonotriccus difficilis Scientific name definitions

Perhaps one of the most distinctively plumaged of a generally rather uniform genus, the Serra do Mar Bristle-Tyrant is a southeast Brazilian endemic, where it occurs from Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais south to the southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, and is found from 950 to 2,150 m. The species is currently classified as Near Threatened, but at least in some parts of its range the Serra do Mar Bristle-Tyrant remains relatively common, for example at upper elevations of the well-visited Itatiaia National Park. Bright olive above, on the crown and the entire upperparts, the Serra do Mar Bristle-Tyrant has a striking face pattern, especially the bright white supraloral, and is principally gray below, albeit slightly paler over the throat. Like most species of Pogonotriccus the species is most easily detected by virtue of its distinctive and frequently given vocalizations, but, in contrast to many congeners, the Serra do Mar Bristle-Tyrant only relatively rarely joins mixed-species flocks.

Juvenile

Undescribed.

Adult

Plumage is bright olive above, with prominent white eyering and supraloral stripe, bordered below by blackish lores and area below eye; face gray, blackish auricular crescent; wings olive, same colour as back, faintly paler along margins of remiges; tail olive; entire underparts medium gray, slightly paler on throat and undertail-coverts. Sexes alike.

Bill

Short, pointed, black, paler at base of lower mandible.

Iris

Brown.

Tarsi and Toes

Legs grayish-pink.

Linear Measurements

Overall length 11–11.5 cm.

Mass

Ca. 7–8 g.

Variously placed in Pogonotriccus or Phylloscartes. The bristle-tyrants (Pogonotriccus) are sometimes lumped together with "true" Phylloscartes tyrannulets, due to a lack of morphological differences (1 Traylor, M. A., Jr. (1977) A classification of the tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 148: 129–184. Close ). However, these groups are behaviorally distinct (Pogonotriccus are less active foragers, with a more upright posture, and do not cock the tail like Phylloscartes), leading some authors (e.g., 2 Hilty, S. L., and W. L. Brown (1986). A Guide to the Birds of Colombia. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close , 3 Ridgely, R. S., and P. J. Greenfield (2001) The Birds of Ecuador. Volume 1. Status, Distribution, and Taxonomy. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. Close , 4 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close , 5 Fitzpatrick, J. W. (2004) Variegated Bristle-tyrant Pogonotriccus poecilotis. Page 303 in Handbook of the birds of the world. Volume 9 (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and D. A. Christie, Editors). Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Close , 6 Ridgely, R. S., and G. Tudor (2009). Field Guide to the Songbirds of South America: the Passerines. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, USA. Close , 7 del Hoyo, J., and N. J. Collar (2016). Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ) to maintain Pogonotriccus as a separate genus. Phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence data, from almost all species of the genus, confirms that Phylloscartes and Pogonotriccus constitute two clades, which are sister to one another (8 Harvey, M. G., G. A. Bravo, S. Claramunt, A. M. Cuervo, G. E. Derryberry, J. Battilana, G. F. Seeholzer, J. S. McKay, B. C. O'Meara, B. C. Faircloth, S. V. Edwards, J. Pérez-Emán, R. G. Moyle, F. H. Sheldon, A. Aleixo, B. T. Smith, R. T. Chesser, L. F. Silveira, J. Cracraft, R. T. Brumfield, and E. P. Derryberry (2020). The evolution of a tropical biodiversity hotspot. Science 370:1343–1348. Close ), and we maintain Pogonotriccus as a separate genus here, including Serra do Mar Bristle-Tyrant.

Southeastern Brazil from southeastern Minas Gerais and southwestern Espírito Santo south to northeastern Rio Grande do Sul.

Humid montane forest and its shrubby borders, from 950 m to 2,150 m.

Forages singly or in pairs, only rarely with mixed-species flocks, in understory and dense growth of humid vegetation. Somewhat less active than most congeners, but shares with them the horizontal posture, tail often held slightly above horizontal, wings drooped or held out from body; sallies to hover-glean insects from dense foliage.

Arthropods (including Lepidoptera) and few fruits (including three species of Rapanea genus: R. gardneriana, R. lineata and R. villosissima) (9 Pineschi, R. B. (1990). Aves como dispersores de sete espécies de Rapanea (Myrsinaceae) no maciço do Itatiaia, estados do Rio de Janeiro e Minas Gerais. Ararajuba 1:73–78. Close , 10 Kirwan, G. M. (2009). Notes on the breeding ecology and seasonality of some Brazilian birds. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 17(2):121–136. Close ).

Rapid chatter of thin, rather harsh notes.

Season presumably September–January. Fledgling recorded in December. One adult with nest material photographed in November (11 Minns, J., Buzzetti, D., Albano, C., Grosset, A., Whittaker, A., and R. Parrini (2010). Aves do Brasil: vozes e fotografias. Vol. 1. DVD-ROM. Avisbrasilis, Manaus. Close ).

Kirwan (10 Kirwan, G. M. (2009). Notes on the breeding ecology and seasonality of some Brazilian birds. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 17(2):121–136. Close ) found a nest at 1.2 m above the ground.

Builds a closed/retort/pensile nest of moss with a long tubular entrance (10 Kirwan, G. M. (2009). Notes on the breeding ecology and seasonality of some Brazilian birds. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 17(2):121–136. Close ).

Both parents feed the nestlings (10 Kirwan, G. M. (2009). Notes on the breeding ecology and seasonality of some Brazilian birds. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 17(2):121–136. Close ).

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Least Concern. Restricted-range species: present in Atlantic Forest Mountains Endemic Bird Area. Uncommon. Observed regularly in Itatiaia National Park. Montane forests within this species’ range have suffered less destruction than have adjacent lowland areas, but isolated patches in the north have virtually disappeared owing to expansion of pasture and cultivation.