Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Torrent Tyrannulet
Serpophaga cinerea
Torrent Tyrannulet (Serpophaga cinerea) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Torrent Tyrannulet (Serpophaga cinerea) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 8.3 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 Serpophaga
- Species cinerea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Torrent Tyrannulet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of rivers and riverside habitats, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Torrent Tyrannulet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Torrent Tyrannulet (Serpophaga cinerea) is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to Bolivia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8.3 g, with a wing length of about 5.6 cm and a tail of around 4.8 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 537,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Torrent Tyrannulet?
The Torrent Tyrannulet is a very small bird that weighs around 8.3 g.
Where does the Torrent Tyrannulet live?
The Torrent Tyrannulet is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to Bolivia, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Torrent Tyrannulet belong to?
The Torrent Tyrannulet (Serpophaga cinerea) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Torrent Tyrannulet eat?
The Torrent Tyrannulet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Torrent Tyrannulet migrate?
The Torrent Tyrannulet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Torrent 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 Torrent Tyrannulet make?
1 real field recording of the Torrent Tyrannulet — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Torrent Tyrannulet's range?
The Torrent Tyrannulet has a mapped global range of about 537,000 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.