Photo: Thibaud Aronson / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Spectacled Bristle Tyrant
Pogonotriccus orbitalis
Spectacled Bristle Tyrant (Pogonotriccus orbitalis) — 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 Bristle Tyrant (Pogonotriccus orbitalis) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in 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 Pogonotriccus
- Species orbitalis
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 Spectacled Bristle Tyrant 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 Spectacled Bristle Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Spectacled Bristle Tyrant (Pogonotriccus orbitalis) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA s Colombia to Bolivia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 7.1 g, with a wing length of about 5.2 cm and a tail of around 4.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 122,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Spectacled Bristle Tyrant?
The Spectacled Bristle Tyrant is a very small bird that weighs around 7.1 g.
Where does the Spectacled Bristle Tyrant live?
The Spectacled Bristle Tyrant is found across South America with a range covering SA s Colombia to Bolivia, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Spectacled Bristle Tyrant belong to?
The Spectacled Bristle Tyrant (Pogonotriccus orbitalis) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Spectacled Bristle Tyrant eat?
The Spectacled Bristle Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Spectacled Bristle Tyrant migrate?
The Spectacled Bristle Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Spectacled Bristle 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 Bristle Tyrant make?
1 real field recording of the Spectacled Bristle 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 Spectacled Bristle Tyrant's range?
The Spectacled Bristle Tyrant has a mapped global range of about 122,000 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.