Photo: Dario Sanches from São Paulo, Brazil / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
White-headed Marsh Tyrant
Arundinicola leucocephala
White-headed Marsh Tyrant (Arundinicola leucocephala) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The White-headed Marsh Tyrant (Arundinicola leucocephala) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 13.8 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 Arundinicola
- Species leucocephala
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The White-headed Marsh Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The White-headed Marsh Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The White-headed Marsh Tyrant (Arundinicola leucocephala) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA widespread.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13.8 g, with a wing length of about 6 cm and a tail of around 4.7 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 9.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the White-headed Marsh Tyrant?
The White-headed Marsh Tyrant is a very small bird that weighs around 13.8 g.
Where does the White-headed Marsh Tyrant live?
The White-headed Marsh Tyrant is found across South America with a range covering SA widespread, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the White-headed Marsh Tyrant belong to?
The White-headed Marsh Tyrant (Arundinicola leucocephala) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the White-headed Marsh Tyrant eat?
The White-headed Marsh Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the White-headed Marsh Tyrant migrate?
The White-headed Marsh Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the White-headed Marsh 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 White-headed Marsh Tyrant make?
1 real field recording of the White-headed Marsh 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 White-headed Marsh Tyrant's range?
The White-headed Marsh Tyrant has a mapped global range of about 9.1 million 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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