The northern beardless tyrannulet (Camptostoma imberbe) is a small passerine bird found in the Americas. It is a member of the tyrant flycatcher family (Tyrannidae). The northern beardless tyrannulet inhabits a wide range of habitats across its large geographic range.
Geographic Range
The northern beardless tyrannulet has an extremely large range spanning from the southern United States through Mexico, Central America, and much of South America. Its breeding range extends from southern Texas and southeastern Arizona in the United States south through Mexico and Central America to Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina. The northern populations are migratory, wintering from southern Mexico to Panama. The more southern populations are generally year-round residents within their breeding range.
Habitat Types
The northern beardless tyrannulet is found in a variety of habitat types across its large range, including:
- Forest edges
- Open woodlands
- Scrublands
- Thickets
- Gardens
- Orchards
- Farmlands
- Savannas
- Grasslands with scattered trees
Some key features of suitable northern beardless tyrannulet habitat are:
- Presence of trees and shrubs for nesting and perching
- Open areas for foraging on insects
- Presence of aquatic habitat like wetlands helps attract insect prey
Forest Habitats
In forested areas, the northern beardless tyrannulet prefers habitat edges and open woodlands over dense, closed canopy forest. It is often found along the borders between forests and clearings or open agricultural areas. It also inhabits riparian corridors along streams and rivers with open understory vegetation.
Some examples of used forest habitats include:
- Pine-oak woodlands
- Open tropical deciduous forest
- Montane evergreen woodlands
- Riparian corridors
- Forest edges and borders
Scrublands
Scrublands characterized by short woody vegetation provide excellent habitat for the northern beardless tyrannulet. The scattered bushes and trees provide nesting sites, song perches, and insect prey. The northern beardless tyrannulet inhabits various scrubland types across its range, including:
- Chaparral
- Thornscrub
- Coastal scrub
- Desert scrub
Open Agricultural Areas
The northern beardless tyrannulet readily inhabits open agricultural areas, especially those interspersed with trees, shrubs, and wetlands. Favored agricultural habitats include:
- Farmland
- Pastures
- Orchards
- Coffee and cacao plantations with shade trees
- Areas with fence rows and scattered trees
The combination of trees and open foraging areas provided by agricultural habitats supports healthy tyrannulet populations.
Other Open and Semi-Open Habitats
In addition to the habitats already mentioned, the northern beardless tyrannulet occupies a variety of other open and semi-open environments including:
- Savannas
- Grasslands with scattered trees
- Suburban parks and gardens
- Roadside vegetation
- Golf courses
- Cemeteries
Avoided Habitats
The northern beardless tyrannulet generally avoids dense, closed canopy forests with sparse understory. It is also scarce or absent from treeless habitats like open grasslands, deserts, and high mountains above treeline. Urban city centers lacking vegetation are avoided as well.
Elevation Range
The northern beardless tyrannulet occupies a wide range of elevations across its broad geographic distribution:
- From sea level to 2,600 m (8,500 ft) in Central America
- From sea level to 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in South America
- Mainly a lowland species, but found sparsely up to timberline
Higher density populations typically occur at lower elevations.
Key Habitat Features
To summarize, the northern beardless tyrannulet thrives in semi-open habitats with some key features:
- Presence of trees and shrubs for nesting, roosting, and perching
- Open areas for foraging, such as fields, pastures, and grasslands
- Presence of water and wetlands to provide drinking water and attract insect prey
- Transitional edges between habitat types
Structural habitat diversity and interspersion of vegetation provide high quality habitat for the northern beardless tyrannulet across its wide geographic range.
Table of Favored Habitats
Habitat Type | Example Regions |
---|---|
Pine-oak woodlands | Mexico, Central America |
Tropical deciduous forest | Southern Mexico, Central America |
Montane evergreen woodlands | Central and South America |
Riparian corridors | Across range |
Chaparral | Southwestern U.S., Mexico |
Thornscrub | Mexico, Central America, northwestern South America |
Coastal scrub | Coastal regions across range |
Farmland | Across range wherever agriculture present |
Pastures | Across range |
Orchards | Wherever orchards present across range |
Shaded plantations | Central America, northwestern South America |
Conclusion
In conclusion, the northern beardless tyrannulet is a habitat generalist found across a broad spectrum of semi-open environments throughout the Americas. It thrives in structurally diverse habitats with a mix of trees, shrubs, open areas, and water sources. This allows the tyrannulet to find the nesting sites, song perches, insect prey, and water it needs to flourish. Conservation of its favored habitats across its range is important for ensuring the continued success of this species.