Longevity of the Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant ( Lophotriccus pileatus ), a resident Neotropical forest passerine

Longevity records remain scarce for most resident Neotropical birds, particularly small tropical forest passerines that are infrequently recaptured in long-term studies. We report minimum longevity records for the Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant (Lophotriccus pileatus), a small resident tyrannid, based on long-term mist-netting and banding at two Neotropical forest sites in Ecuador and Costa Rica. At Un poco del Chocó Nature Reserve (UPDC), Ecuador, we recorded 87 capture events involving 45 individuals between 2015 and 2026. Eighteen individuals were recaptured at least once; 10 were recaptured at least 1 year after initial capture, with intervals ranging from 1.1 to 9.3 years, which we treat as minimum longevity records. The longest record (9.3 years) was from an individual first captured on 25 November 2015 and last recaptured on 20 March 2025. Complementary recaptures from Asociación Ambiental Finca Cántaros (AAFC), Costa Rica, indicated conservative inferred minimum longevities of 7.2–8.2 years for three previously banded individuals. To our knowledge, these records provide the first published longevity estimates for Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant and underscore the value of sustained banding, well-documented capture histories, and accessible archives for improving life-history knowledge of resident Neotropical birds.