White-throated Tyrannulet

White-throated Tyrannulet

Mecocerculus leucophrys

Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Quito

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

16 Verified sightings at Quito
2,898 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
November Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the White-throated Tyrannulet

The white-throated tyrannulet (Mecocerculus leucophrys) is a species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Some subspecies differ significantly in their morphology, suggesting that they might be separate species. M. l. pallidior has specifically been proposed as a species but not enough data are available for all of the taxa to make decisions.

This article follows the 11-subspecies model. The white-throated tyrannulet is 11 to 14 cm (4.3 to 5.5 in) long. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies M. l. leucophrys have a dark olive-gray crown and nape. They have white lores and a thin white supercilium on an otherwise dusky face with some white on the ear coverts. Their upperparts are medium olive-gray. Their wings are brownish... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song0:57

Ecuador · 2025

© Scott Olmstead · XC1150996 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Dawn song0:46

Colombia · 2022

© Frank Lambert · XC1141475 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:35

Ecuador · 2026

© Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · XC1090604 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~70%
2 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~30%
3 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
4 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
5 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Bogota 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
2 Quito 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a White-throated Tyrannulet in Quito?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-throated Tyrannulet sighting in Quito on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 124th most-seen of the 167 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a White-throated Tyrannulet in Quito?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-throated Tyrannulet in Quito on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a White-throated Tyrannulet?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-throated Tyrannulet sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Quito the best place to see a White-throated Tyrannulet?

2nd of 2

Of the 2 cities where we can rate White-throated Tyrannulet sightings, Quito ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Bogota (Colombia, about 20%).

Where does the White-throated Tyrannulet sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the White-throated Tyrannulet is recorded against all the birds logged in Quito (16 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Quito