Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pygmy Cupwing
Pnoepyga pusilla
Pygmy Cupwing (Pnoepyga pusilla) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pygmy Cupwing (Pnoepyga pusilla) is a member of the Pnoepygidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 12 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 Pnoepygidae Cupwings
- Genus Pnoepyga
- Species pusilla
Quick facts
- Weight
- 12 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Pnoepygidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pygmy Cupwing is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Pygmy Cupwing is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pygmy Cupwing (Pnoepyga pusilla) belongs to the Pnoepygidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR widespread.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 12 g, with a wing length of about 5 cm and a tail of around 1.9 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 3.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pygmy Cupwing?
The Pygmy Cupwing is a very small bird that weighs around 12 g.
Where does the Pygmy Cupwing live?
The Pygmy Cupwing is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Pygmy Cupwing belong to?
The Pygmy Cupwing (Pnoepyga pusilla) belongs to the Pnoepygidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Pygmy Cupwing eat?
The Pygmy Cupwing is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Pygmy Cupwing migrate?
The Pygmy Cupwing is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pygmy Cupwing 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 Pygmy Cupwing make?
1 real field recording of the Pygmy Cupwing can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Pygmy Cupwing's range?
The Pygmy Cupwing has a mapped global range of about 3.7 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
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