Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
River Tyrannulet
Serpophaga hypoleuca
River Tyrannulet (Serpophaga hypoleuca) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The River Tyrannulet (Serpophaga hypoleuca) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 6.1 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 Serpophaga
- Species hypoleuca
Quick facts
- Weight
- 6.1 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The River Tyrannulet 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 River Tyrannulet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The River Tyrannulet (Serpophaga hypoleuca) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA Orinoco, Amazon and tributaries.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 6.1 g, with a wing length of about 4.7 cm and a tail of around 4.5 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 558,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the River Tyrannulet?
The River Tyrannulet is a very small bird that weighs around 6.1 g.
Where does the River Tyrannulet live?
The River Tyrannulet is found across South America with a range covering SA Orinoco, Amazon and tributaries, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the River Tyrannulet belong to?
The River Tyrannulet (Serpophaga hypoleuca) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the River Tyrannulet eat?
The River Tyrannulet is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the River Tyrannulet migrate?
The River Tyrannulet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the River 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 River Tyrannulet make?
1 real field recording of the River 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 River Tyrannulet's range?
The River Tyrannulet has a mapped global range of about 558,000 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.