About the Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet
The mottle-cheeked tyrannulet is a generally common, small species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The mottle-cheeked tyrannulet is about 12 cm (4.7 in) long and weighs about 9 g (0.32 oz). The sexes have the same plumage, and the subspecies also have essentially the same plumage as well. Adults have a short thin whitish supercilium, an indistinct broken whitish eye-ring, a dusky line through the eye, a wide whitish and dusky crescent below the eye, a dusky "moustache", and the eponymous whitish and dusky mottled cheeks. Their crown, nape, back, and rump are dark olive. Their wings are dusky with bright olive-yellow outer webs at the base of the flight feathers. Voice: The mottle-cheeked tyrannulet's song has been described as "a descending, accelerating rattle tchep tik tik-teer'r'r'r' and its call as "weak, sneezy, metallic tchee or tchep notes". Another description of is song is a "very high, mainly level pitched, twittering trill, which starts hesitantly, accelerates, then slows down at the end with some very sharp, very high notes".
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in October · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Ecuadorian TyrannuletPhylloscartes gualaquizaeThe Ecuadorian tyrannulet is about 11.5 cm (4.5 in) long; one male weighed 8 g (0.28 oz).
Rufous-browed TyrannuletPhylloscartes superciliarisThe rufous-browed tyrannulet is 9.5 to 12 cm (3.7 to 4.7 in) long; three individuals weighed 7 to 9 g (0.25 to 0.32 oz).
Oustalet's TyrannuletPhylloscartes oustaletiOustalet's tyrannulet is about 12 cm (4.7 in) long and weighs 9.4 to 10.5 g (0.33 to 0.37 oz).
Learn the Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.