Fork-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant

The Fork-tailed Tody-Tyrant, a tiny flycatcher with a striking pattern, lurks in the underbrush of forest boundaries, especially in areas with thickets of bamboo and vines. Even though it can survive in damaged forests, the species is rare, with probably less than 10,000 individuals.

Like other flycatchers, it consumes insects such as tiny caterpillars and katydids that are caught in leaves during the brief, energetic flights of the birds. The bird calls in a staccato, high-pitched pattern that is typically repeated three times. Other facets of the behavior and biology of the breeding process of the bird are yet unknown to scientists. According to rates of habitat degradation within its range, it is believed that the Fork-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant is disappearing quickly. It is another Atlantic Forest endemic that the IUCN has classified as Vulnerable due to extensive, ongoing habitat loss.