Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey-backed Tachuri
Polystictus superciliaris
Grey-backed Tachuri (Polystictus superciliaris) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Grey-backed Tachuri (Polystictus superciliaris) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 6 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 Polystictus
- Species superciliaris
Quick facts
- Weight
- 6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey-backed Tachuri is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Grey-backed Tachuri is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Grey-backed Tachuri (Polystictus superciliaris) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA se Brazil.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 6 g, with a wing length of about 4.4 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.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 314,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey-backed Tachuri?
The Grey-backed Tachuri is a very small bird that weighs around 6 g.
Where does the Grey-backed Tachuri live?
The Grey-backed Tachuri is found across South America with a range covering SA se Brazil, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Grey-backed Tachuri belong to?
The Grey-backed Tachuri (Polystictus superciliaris) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Grey-backed Tachuri eat?
The Grey-backed Tachuri is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Grey-backed Tachuri migrate?
The Grey-backed Tachuri is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Grey-backed Tachuri 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 Grey-backed Tachuri make?
1 real field recording of the Grey-backed Tachuri — 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 Grey-backed Tachuri's range?
The Grey-backed Tachuri has a mapped global range of about 314,000 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.