Photo: Lip Kee Yap from Singapore, Republic of Singapore / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spectacled Tyrant
Hymenops perspicillatus
Spectacled Tyrant (Hymenops perspicillatus) — 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 Spectacled Tyrant (Hymenops perspicillatus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 22.9 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 Hymenops
- Species perspicillatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 22.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Spectacled Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Spectacled Tyrant is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Spectacled Tyrant (Hymenops perspicillatus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA Southern Cone.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 22.9 g, with a wing length of about 8.8 cm and a tail of around 6.4 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 2.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spectacled Tyrant?
The Spectacled Tyrant is a small bird that weighs around 22.9 g.
Where does the Spectacled Tyrant live?
The Spectacled Tyrant is found across South America with a range covering SA Southern Cone, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Spectacled Tyrant belong to?
The Spectacled Tyrant (Hymenops perspicillatus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Spectacled Tyrant eat?
The Spectacled Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Spectacled Tyrant migrate?
The Spectacled Tyrant is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Spectacled Tyrant 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 Spectacled Tyrant make?
1 real field recording of the Spectacled Tyrant — 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 Spectacled Tyrant's range?
The Spectacled Tyrant has a mapped global range of about 2.7 million 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.