Photo: TonyCastro / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-tailed Tyrannulet
Mecocerculus poecilocercus
White-tailed Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus poecilocercus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-tailed Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus poecilocercus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 7.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Tyrannidae Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura
- Genus Mecocerculus
- Species poecilocercus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 7.7 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-tailed Tyrannulet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-tailed Tyrannulet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-tailed Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus poecilocercus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA Colombia to Peru.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 7.7 g, with a wing length of about 5.8 cm and a tail of around 4.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 177,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-tailed Tyrannulet?
The White-tailed Tyrannulet is a very small bird that weighs around 7.7 g.
Where does the White-tailed Tyrannulet live?
The White-tailed Tyrannulet is found across South America with a range covering SA Colombia to Peru, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the White-tailed Tyrannulet belong to?
The White-tailed Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus poecilocercus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-tailed Tyrannulet eat?
The White-tailed Tyrannulet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-tailed Tyrannulet migrate?
The White-tailed Tyrannulet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-tailed Tyrannulet endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the White-tailed Tyrannulet make?
1 real field recording of the White-tailed Tyrannulet — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the White-tailed Tyrannulet's range?
The White-tailed Tyrannulet has a mapped global range of about 177,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Tyrannidae
A field guide to the Tyrannidae family — 444 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.