Zimmer's Tody-Tyrant

About the Zimmer's Tody-Tyrant

Zimmer's tody-tyrant (Hemitriccus minimus) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru. Zimmer's tody-tyrant has a complicated taxonomic history. It was originally described in 1925 as Snethlagea minima. By the mid-twentieth century it had been reclassified as a subspecies of Snethlage's tody-tyrant (then Snethlagea minor). Snethlagea was later merged into Hemitriccus. Early specimens were eventually reexamined and determined to be the same as "H. aenigma", what was at the time of its description thought to be a new species. The previous H. m. minimus was recognized as a species, merged with H. aenigma, and by the principle of priority became the present H. minimus.

The species' English name commemorates American ornithologist John Todd Zimmer. Zimmer's tody-tyrant is monotypic. Zimmer's tody-tyrant is about 10 cm (3.9 in) long and weighs 6 to 8 g (0.21 to 0.28 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a dark brown-olive crown with even darker dusky streaks. They have buffy lores, an indistinct buffy eye-ring, and brown ear coverts. Their back and rump... Wikipedia →