Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Variegated Bristle Tyrant
Pogonotriccus poecilotis
Variegated Bristle Tyrant (Pogonotriccus poecilotis) — 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 Variegated Bristle Tyrant (Pogonotriccus poecilotis) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 8 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 poecilotis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Variegated 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 Variegated Bristle Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Variegated Bristle Tyrant (Pogonotriccus poecilotis) is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA n Colombia and nw Venezuela to Peru.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 8 g, with a wing length of about 5.7 cm and a tail of around 5.2 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 213,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Variegated Bristle Tyrant?
The Variegated Bristle Tyrant is a very small bird that weighs around 8 g.
Where does the Variegated Bristle Tyrant live?
The Variegated Bristle Tyrant is found across South America with a range covering SA n Colombia and nw Venezuela to Peru, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Variegated Bristle Tyrant belong to?
The Variegated Bristle Tyrant (Pogonotriccus poecilotis) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Variegated Bristle Tyrant eat?
The Variegated Bristle Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Variegated Bristle Tyrant migrate?
The Variegated Bristle Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Variegated 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 Variegated Bristle Tyrant make?
1 real field recording of the Variegated Bristle Tyrant — 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 Variegated Bristle Tyrant's range?
The Variegated Bristle Tyrant has a mapped global range of about 213,000 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.