Golden-faced tyrannulet

Zimmerius chrysops

Photo by Lior Kislev (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
golden-faced tyrannulet (en); poiaeiro-de-face-dourada (pt); tyranneau à face d'or (fr); tiranuelo cejiamarillo (es); goldgesicht-kleintyrann (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Tyrannidae


Range:
This species is found in northern Venezuela, western Colombia, Ecuador and across the border into northern Peru.


Size:
These birds are 10-11 cm long and weigh 8-10 g.


Habitat:
Golden-faced tyrannulets are mostly found in tropical and sub-tropical mountain forests and also in other moist forests and sometimes in coffee plantations. They occur at altitudes of 500-2.700 m.


Diet:
They eat both small arthropods and berries of mistletoes such as Antidaphne and Phoradendron.


Breeding:
These birds breed in March-June. The female builds the nest, a ball of moss and lichens with a side entrance, placed under on the side tree, under a branch, or in an epiphyte, around 5 m above the ground. There the female lays 1-2 cream-white eggs with brown spots, which she mostly incubates alone for 16-17 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 17-19 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN staus - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is described as fairly common. This population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.