Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-crested Tit-Tyrant
Anairetes nigrocristatus
Black-crested Tit-Tyrant (Anairetes nigrocristatus) — 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 Black-crested Tit-Tyrant (Anairetes nigrocristatus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 9.2 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 Anairetes
- Species nigrocristatus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.2 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-crested Tit-Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Black-crested Tit-Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Black-crested Tit-Tyrant (Anairetes nigrocristatus) is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA s Ecuador, n Peru.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.2 g, with a wing length of about 5.8 cm and a tail of around 6.2 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 49,000 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-crested Tit-Tyrant?
The Black-crested Tit-Tyrant is a very small bird that weighs around 9.2 g.
Where does the Black-crested Tit-Tyrant live?
The Black-crested Tit-Tyrant is found across South America with a range covering SA s Ecuador, n Peru, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Black-crested Tit-Tyrant belong to?
The Black-crested Tit-Tyrant (Anairetes nigrocristatus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-crested Tit-Tyrant eat?
The Black-crested Tit-Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-crested Tit-Tyrant migrate?
The Black-crested Tit-Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Black-crested Tit-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 Black-crested Tit-Tyrant make?
1 real field recording of the Black-crested Tit-Tyrant — 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 Black-crested Tit-Tyrant's range?
The Black-crested Tit-Tyrant has a mapped global range of about 49,000 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
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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.