Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown-capped Tyrannulet
Ornithion brunneicapillus
Brown-capped Tyrannulet (Ornithion brunneicapillus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown-capped Tyrannulet (Ornithion brunneicapillus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 7.1 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 Ornithion
- Species brunneicapillus
Where it lives
Costa Rica to northwestern Venezuela and northwestern Ecuador
Quick facts
- Weight
- 7.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown-capped Tyrannulet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Brown-capped Tyrannulet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Brown-capped Tyrannulet (Ornithion brunneicapillus) 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 nw Venezuela and nw Ecuador.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 7.1 g, with a wing length of about 4.4 cm and a tail of around 2.7 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 283,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown-capped Tyrannulet?
The Brown-capped Tyrannulet is a very small bird that weighs around 7.1 g.
Where does the Brown-capped Tyrannulet live?
The Brown-capped Tyrannulet is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to nw Venezuela and nw Ecuador, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Brown-capped Tyrannulet belong to?
The Brown-capped Tyrannulet (Ornithion brunneicapillus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Brown-capped Tyrannulet eat?
The Brown-capped Tyrannulet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Brown-capped Tyrannulet migrate?
The Brown-capped Tyrannulet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Brown-capped 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 Brown-capped Tyrannulet make?
1 real field recording of the Brown-capped Tyrannulet — 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 Brown-capped Tyrannulet's range?
The Brown-capped Tyrannulet has a mapped global range of about 283,000 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.