Myiornis ecaudatus
Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The short-tailed pygmy tyrant (Myiornis ecaudatus) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found on Trinidad and in every mainland South American country except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The short-tailed pygmy tyrant was originally described in 1837 as Todirostrum ecaudatum. In the early to mid-twentieth century it was placed in genus Perissotriccus which was later merged into Myiornis. Several authors have suggested that genus Myiornis should be merged into genus Hemitriccus.
Between about 1940 and 1970 some authors included what is now the black-capped pygmy tyrant (M. atricapillus) as a third subspecies. The short-tailed and black-capped pygmy tyrants apparently form a superspecies. The short-tailed pygmy tyrant is 6 to 7 cm (2.4 to 2.8 in) long and weighs about 4.2 g (0.15 oz). It is the smallest passerine on Earth. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a mostly dark gray head with blackish lores, a... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brownsberg Nature Park | 🇸🇷 Suriname | |
| 2 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Amacayacu National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 4 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 5 | Sierra de la Macarena National Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 6 | Amboró National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | |
| 7 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 196 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 203rd most-seen of the 550 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, May–September and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in January, March–April and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant sightings, Tambopata National Reserve ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 10%).
Same family: Tyrannidae
The closest relatives of the Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant that you can see in Tambopata National Reserve (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Tropical Kingbird (about 20%), Boat-billed Flycatcher (about 20%) and Forest Elaenia (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant is recorded against all the birds logged in Tambopata National Reserve (196 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
