Spectacled Bristle-Tyrant Pogonotriccus orbitalis Scientific name definitions

The Spectacled Bristle-Tyrant is a locally distributed bird of the east Andean slope, where it occurs, apparently somewhat discontinuously, from southernmost Colombia to northern Bolivia. This tyrant-flycatcher prefers humid montane forest, especially in ravines and on ridges, and is found from around 500 to 1,400 m. In external morphology, the species is broadly similar in appearance to other Pogonotriccus bristle-tyrants, having two pale wingbars and a reasonably obvious ear-coverts crescent. The Spectacled Bristle-Tyrant principally feeds on insects, like others of the genus, but seems to be less fond of joining mixed-species foraging flocks than other related species. Its breeding behavior remains more or less unknown, despite the species being relatively common over much of its range.

11.5 cm; 8 g. Has gray crown , yellowish-white lores and prominent eyering; face and auriculars mottled yellowish, faintly bordered above and behind by indistinct blackish auricular crescent; upperparts olive; wings dusky, wing-coverts tipped pale yellow (two wingbars consisting of rows of distinct spots), remiges edged and tipped pale yellow; tail olive; entire underparts bright yellow, very lightly suffused with olive on breast; iris brown; bill long, pointed, blackish, most of lower mandible whitish to pinkish-white; legs gray. Sexes alike. Juvenile undes­cribed.

Variously placed in Pogonotriccus or Phylloscartes. The bristle-tyrants (Pogonotriccus) are sometimes lumped together with "true" Phylloscartes tyrannulets, due to a lack of morphological differences (1 Traylor, M. A., Jr. (1977) A classification of the tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 148: 129–184. Close ). However, these groups are behaviorally distinct (Pogonotriccus are less active foragers, with a more upright posture, and do not cock the tail like Phylloscartes), leading some authors (e.g., 2 Hilty, S. L., and W. L. Brown (1986). A Guide to the Birds of Colombia. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close , 3 Ridgely, R. S., and P. J. Greenfield (2001) The Birds of Ecuador. Volume 1. Status, Distribution, and Taxonomy. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. Close , 4 Hilty, S. L. (2003). Birds of Venezuela. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close , 5 Fitzpatrick, J. W., J. M. Bates, K. S. Bostwick, I. C. Caballero, B. M. Clock, A. Farnsworth, P. A. Hosner, L. Joseph, G. M. Langham, D. J. Lebbin, J. A. Mobley, M. B. Robbins, E. Scholes, J. G. Tello, B. A. Walther, and K. J. Zimmer (2004). Family Tyrannidae (tyrant-flycatchers). In Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 9 (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and D. A. Christie, Editors), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. pp. 170–462. Close , 6 Ridgely, R. S., and G. Tudor (2009). Field Guide to the Songbirds of South America: the Passerines. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, USA. Close , 7 del Hoyo, J., and N. J. Collar (2016). Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close ) to maintain Pogonotriccus as a separate genus. Phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence data confirms that species of Phylloscartes and Pogonotriccus constitute two clades that are sister to one another (8 Ohlson, J. I., J. Fjeldså, and P. G. P. Ericson (2008). Tyrant flycatchers coming out in the open: phylogeny and ecological radiation of Tyrannidae (Aves: Passeriformes). Zoologica Scripta 37(3):315–335. Close , 9 Tello, J. G., R. G. Moyle, D. J. Marchese, and J. Cracraft (2009). Phylogeny and phylogenetic classification of the tyrant flycatchers, cotingas, manakins, and their allies (Aves: Tyrannides). Cladistics 25:429–467. Close , 10 Harvey, M. G., G. A. Bravo, S. Claramunt, A. M. Cuervo, G. E. Derryberry, J. Battilana, G. F. Seeholzer, J. S. McKay, B. C. O'Meara, B. C. Faircloth, S. V. Edwards, J. Pérez-Emán, R. G. Moyle, F. H. Sheldon, A. Aleixo, B. T. Smith, R. T. Chesser, L. F. Silveira, J. Cracraft, R. T. Brumfield, and E. P. Derryberry (2020). The evolution of a tropical biodiversity hotspot. Science 370:1343–1348. Close ). We consequently maintain Pogonotriccus as a separate genus here, including Spectacled Bristle-Tyrant.

Close to the Venezuelan Bristle-Tyrant (Pogonotriccus venezuelanus) and Antioquia Bristle-Tyrant (Pogonotriccus lanyoni).

Locally in eastern Andes of extreme southern Colombia (western Putumayo) south to east Ecuador, and from Peru (south from southern Amazonas) south to Bolivia (La Paz, Cochabamba).

Humid montane forest, especially in dark, wet ravines and on lower-elevation ridgetops below mossy cloudforest; remains in forest interior, rarely venturing to edges and clearings. Around 900 m in southern Colombia, 700–1,400 m locally in Ecuador; 600–1,200 m in southeastern Peru, down to 500 m on foothill ridges.

Stomach contents from southeastern Peru contained 66 identified items: beetles (Coleoptera) 56%, homopteran bugs 12%, hymenopterans 23% (ants 12%, wasps 11%), spiders (Araneae) 6%, hemipterans 3%. Forages singly or in pairs, found less often in mixed-species flocks than are congeners and Phylloscartes species. Perches mainly in understory, only rarely to mid-story or upper branches; posture upright, tail held vertically downwards; frequently lifts or flicks one wing high overhead, then repeats with opposite wing; pauses on perch for 10–30 seconds. Feeds with short, outward or upward, looping sallies to snatch or hover-glean insects from undersides of leaves, then rapid flight to new perch.

Not very vocal; soft series of tic notes rising and falling slightly (xeno-canto, XC260885), sometimes given individually.

Birds with enlarged gonads, and juveniles present, in October and November in southeastern Peru, suggesting season September–December. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Generally rare, but locally fairly common; easily overlooked. Fairly common in southeastern Peru; listed as “near-threatened” in Ecuador. Occurs in Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve and Madidi National Park, both in Bolivia.