<trp-post-container data-trp-post-id='359559'>Gray-headed Tody-Flycatcher

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En bref

Endémique
  • Scientific Name: Todirostrum poliocephalum
  • Spanish Name: Tirano-todi cabecigrís
  • Famille : Tyrannidae
  • Known Nicknames: Gray-headed Tody-Tyrant
  • Average Length: 9 cm / 3.5 in
  • Poids moyen : 6 à 8 g / 0,21 à 0,28 oz
  • Envergure : N/A
  • Key Feature: Gray head and bright yellow underparts with a thin, flat bill
  • Régime alimentaire principal : Principalement insectivore
  • Range: Southeastern Brazil (Bahia to Santa Catarina)
  • Habitat: Humid lowland and montane forests, forest edges, and secondary growth
  • Structure sociale : Solitaires ou en couples
  • Nesting/Breeding: Pendulous bag-shaped nest woven from plant fibers, suspended from a branch tip
  • Statut de conservation : Préoccupation mineure (LC)
  • Évolution démographique : Stable

The Gray-headed Tody-Flycatcher (*Todirostrum poliocephalum*) is a diminutive, charismatic bird endemic to the humid forests of southeastern Brazil, measuring just 8–9 cm in length. Its most distinctive feature is a strikingly large, flat, and broad bill—almost comically oversized for its tiny body—which it uses to snatch insects mid-air with audible snaps. The bird’s general appearance is a crisp study in contrasts: a soft gray hood and nape set off a bright white throat and belly, while its back, wings, and tail are a vivid olive-green, accented by two bold, pale yellow wing bars and a black-and-white spotted crown. A special behavioral trait is its constant, nervous tail-wagging and habit of perching upright, often in mixed-species flocks, where its sharp *tsip* calls betray its presence. This species is a master of active foraging, frequently hovering to glean prey from the undersides of leaves, making it a lively and engaging subject for birdwatchers.

Faits amusants

Despite its tiny size—barely 9 centimeters long—this bird packs a surprisingly loud and sharp call that sounds like a snapping twig, often used in duets between mates. It has an unusual nesting strategy: instead of building a cup, it excavates a deep, hanging pouch nest from soft plant fibers and spiderwebs, complete with a side entrance and a long tail-like extension that sways in the wind, which may confuse predators. The gray-headed tody-flycatcher also exhibits a quirky “wing-flicking” behavior, rapidly fluttering one wing at a time while foraging, possibly to flush out hidden insects from leaves. Its oversized, flat bill is specially adapted for snatching prey mid-air with a distinctive clicking sound, and it often perches upside-down to glean bugs from the undersides of branches—a rare skill among flycatchers.

Habitats et répartition

The Gray-headed Tody-Flycatcher is endemic to a relatively narrow strip of coastal Brazil, ranging primarily from southern Bahia southward through Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and into northeastern São Paulo. Its habitat consists of humid lowland and foothill forests, including mature primary rainforest, secondary growth, and forest edges, often near watercourses or in areas with dense vine tangles. It also adapts to degraded habitats and is regularly found in shaded coffee plantations, forest clearings, and tall restinga woodlands, though it avoids open, treeless areas. The species is most common below 1,000 meters in elevation.

Comportements & Reproduction

The Gray-headed Tody-Flycatcher is typically monogamous, forming strong pair bonds that persist across breeding seasons. Pairs defend small territories and engage in cooperative nest building, where both sexes participate in constructing a distinctive, hanging pouch nest woven from plant fibers and spider webs, often suspended from a thin branch over water. Reproduction involves a clutch of two white eggs, incubated primarily by the female while the male provides food and guards the vicinity. Both parents share feeding duties for the altricial young, which fledge after about two weeks. A notable strategy is the nest’s elongated entrance tube, which likely deters predators and brood parasites.

Alimentation

The Gray-headed Tody-Flycatcher is an insectivorous bird whose diet consists almost exclusively of small arthropods, primarily a wide variety of insects and spiders. It employs a distinctive foraging strategy known as "sally-gleaning," where it perches on a branch and makes short, quick flights to snatch prey from the underside of leaves, often hovering briefly to pluck its target. Interestingly, this bird has a disproportionately large, flattened bill for its tiny size, which it uses like a pair of tweezers to expertly extract hidden caterpillars, beetles, and leafhoppers from curled foliage. It rarely pursues flying insects in mid-air like a true flycatcher, instead preferring to meticulously search the vegetation, and has been observed consuming small fruits or berries on rare occasions, making it primarily a gleaning specialist of arboreal invertebrates.

Couleurs

The Gray-headed Tody-Flycatcher has a slate-gray head and nape contrasting with olive-green upperparts, a white throat, and bright yellow underparts. Its wings are dark with yellowish edges and two bold white wing bars, while the tail is black-tipped. The face shows a subtle pale eyering, and there is no sexual dimorphism; its coloration provides camouflage in dappled forest light.

Distribution Map

Places linked to this species. A sighting is never guaranteed.