Photo: Ron Knight / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Buff-banded Tyrannulet
Mecocerculus hellmayri
Buff-banded Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus hellmayri) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Buff-banded Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus hellmayri) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 8 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 hellmayri
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Buff-banded 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 Buff-banded Tyrannulet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Buff-banded Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus hellmayri) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA se Peru to nw Argentina.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8 g, with a wing length of about 5.6 cm and a tail of around 4.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 70,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Buff-banded Tyrannulet?
The Buff-banded Tyrannulet is a very small bird that weighs around 8 g.
Where does the Buff-banded Tyrannulet live?
The Buff-banded Tyrannulet is found across South America with a range covering SA se Peru to nw Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Buff-banded Tyrannulet belong to?
The Buff-banded Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus hellmayri) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Buff-banded Tyrannulet eat?
The Buff-banded Tyrannulet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Buff-banded Tyrannulet migrate?
The Buff-banded Tyrannulet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Buff-banded 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 Buff-banded Tyrannulet make?
1 real field recording of the Buff-banded 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 Buff-banded Tyrannulet's range?
The Buff-banded Tyrannulet has a mapped global range of about 70,000 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.