Torrent Tyrannulet

Serpophaga cinerea

Weighs under 10g and haunts Andean boulder-strewn rivers. Bobs incessantly on midstream rocks.

Population: 500,000–4,999,999 mature individuals; fairly common throughout its range, population trend decreasing (modest decline, linked to watercourse siltation in some areas)
Habitat: Rocky, fast-flowing mountain streams, rivers, and creeks in forested terrain, roughly 250–3,700 m elevation; also occurs along streams in more open landscapes, marshes, and flooded forest at lower elevations
Fun fact: This small flycatcher perches on midstream boulders along rushing Andean and Central American rivers, characteristically wagging and flicking its tail between insect-hawking sallies, and builds a cup nest with a mossy exterior tucked just above the rushing water.
Range: Disjunct distribution across a very large extent of occurrence (~4,280,000 km²): Costa Rica and Panama south through Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru to Bolivia
Diet: Arthropods, mainly flying insects, taken by hawking sallies from boulders in streams or from streamside vegetation, sometimes while hovering
Size: 0.11 m

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