BIRDS of THE WORLD - An Online Bird Book
HOME
SEARCH 
INDEX

New World FLYCATCHERs

Order Passeriformes    Family Tyrannidae

The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) occur throughout North and South America. They are now considered the largest family of birds on Earth, with around 400 species. As could be expected from a family this large, the members vary greatly in habitat, shape, patterns and colors. Some Tyrant flycatchers superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers. Most, but not all, are rather plain, and many have erectile crests. Most are insectivorous, but some will eat fruit or small vertebrates.

The Tyrannidae family is presented in these web pages:
1) Tyrants, Black-Tyrants, Tit-Tyrants  2) Pygmy Tyrants, Tody-Flycatchers, Tody-Tyrants
3) Tyrants, Bush-Tyrants, Chat-Tyrants, Ground-Tyrants, Shrike Tyrants; Monjitas
4) Tyrannulets   5) Doradito, Elaenia, Tachuri  
6) Flycatchers, Spadebills, Twistwings  7) Flycatchers, Pewees, Phoebes
8) Flycatchers, Attilas, Flatbills, Sirystes  9) Flycatchers, Kingbirds, Kiskadees

Tyrants, Bush-Tyrants, Chat-Tyrants, Ground-Tyrants, Shrike-Tyrants, Water-Tyrants


Genus Agriornis
The shrike-tyrants have only a superficial resemblance to shrikes. They more closely resemble thrushes in appearance.

Tyrant,_Black-billed_Shrike-  Agriornis montanus   Found: mainly Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Eduador, Peru; also Columbia
The Black-billed Shirke-Tyrant has a long, thin, black bill; white tail.
Similar to: White-tailed Shirke-Tyrant. The White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant has more white on its tail than Black-billed Shirke-Tyrant, especially near the tail base.
Image by: 1) Hector_Bottai - Argentina  2) Francesco_Veronesi - Ecuador  3) Carlos_Henrique - Ecuador


Tyrant,_Gray-bellied_Shrike-  Agriornis micropterus   Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru
The Gray-bellied Shrike has grayish-brown underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Pablo_Eguia - Pablo_Eguia, Ramon_Moller_Jensen in Argentina
 

Tyrant,_Great_Shrike-  Agriornis lividus   Found: Argentina, Chile
The Great Shrike-Tyrant is the largest tyrant flycatcher. It has strong and thick bill.
Image by: 1) Alastair_Rae  2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Ik_kil


Tyrant,_Lesser_Shrike-  Agriornis murinus   Found: mainly Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay; also Uruguay
The Lesser Shrike-Tyyant has mainly grayish plumage; paler underparts; some buff on flanks; white edging to wings; white sides to tail. It does not have a large bill like other shrike-tyrants and may not belong in this genus.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Argentina  2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Jorge_Quiroga in Argentina


Tyrant,_White-tailed_Shrike-  Agriornis albicauda   Found: mainly Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru; also Chile
Similar to: Black-billed Shirke-Tyrant. The White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant has more white on its tail than Black-billed Shirke-Tyrant, especially near the tail base.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas  2) Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Jorge_Martin_Spinuzza in Argentina



Genus Alectrurus

Tyrant,_Cock-tailed  Alectrurus tricolor   Found: Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay
The male Cock-tailed Tyrant has mainly black upperparts; gray rump; white shoulder patch, face, underparts; broad black tail with central feathers perpendicular to others. Female has brown replacing black of male; short and unmodified tail.
Image by: 1, 4) Hector_Bottai - Brazil  2, 3) Nick Athanas - Brazil
1, 2) Female  3 , 4) Male
 

Tyrant,_Strange-tailed  Alectrurus risora   Found: Argentina, Paraguay; also Brazil, Uruguay
The male Strange-tailed Tyrant has a long banner-lke tail; black hood, nape, tail; rest white. Female has brown replacing male's black; long thin tail.
Image by: 1, 3, 4) Hecotr Bottai - Argentina  2, 5) Claudio Timm
1, 2) Female  3,- 5) Male

 


Genus Arundinicola - 1 species

Tyrant,_White-headed Marsh-  Arundinicola leucocephala  Found: South America
The male White-headed Marsh-Tyrant has a black body; white head; yellowish lower mandible. Female has brown upperparts; black tail; dull white underparts, sides of head, fore-crown.
Similar to: Masked Water-Tyrant. Masked Water-Tyrant has black mask; female White-headed Marsh-Tyrant does not.
Image by: 1, 3) Dario Sanches - Brazil  2) Dominic Sherony - Trinidad and Tobago 4) Cristiano Crolle - Esteros del Iberà, Argentina
1) Female  2 - 4) Male



Genus Cnemarchus - 1 species

Tyrant,_Red-rumped_Bush-  Cnemarchus erythropygius   Found: mainly Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru; also Columbia
The Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant has dark brown upperparts; gray head; gray throat with dark streaks; white wing patch; gray upper-breast; orange-red rest of underparts.
Image by: 1) Gary_Clark - Ecuador  2) Francesco_Veronesi - Ecuador
 


Genus Colonia - 1 species

Tyrant,_Long-tailed  Colonia colonus  Found: South America
The Long-tailed Tyrant has mainly black plumage; gray crown; white ring below the crown. The breeding male has long elongated central tail feather; hence the name.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Dario Sanches - Brazil
1, 2) Female  3, 4) Male



Genus Colorhamphus

Tyrant,_Patagonian   Colorhamphus parvirostris  Found: Argentina, Chile
The Patagonian Tyrant has gray head; cinnamon wing-bars; dark cheeks; white eye-arc; small bill.
Image by: 1) Flavio Camus  2) Pablo_Caceres_Contreras  3) Quimico2014 


 
Genus Fluvicola
The Water-tyrants are usually found close to water.

Tyrant,_Black-backed_Water-  Fluvicola albiventer   Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay
The Black-backed Water-Tyrant has black upperparts; white wing-bars; black crown, nape; white face, forehead, underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Brazil  2) Francesco_Veronesi - Brazil  3) Gustavo_Fernando_Duran - Argentina


Tyrant,_Masked Water-  Fluvicola nengeta  Found: South America
The Masked Water-Tyrant has pale gray back; black wings, tail; white head with black eye-stripe (mask); white underparts.
Similar to: Pied Water-Tyrant. Masked Water-Tyrant has black mask; Pied Water-Tyrant has black nape.
Similar to: White-headed Marsh-Tyrant (female). Masked Water-Tyrant has black mask; female White-headed Marsh-Tyrant does not.
Image by:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Dario Sanches - Brazil  6) Nick_Athanas - Ecuador



Tyrant,_Pied_Water  Fluvicola pica  Found: Panama, Trinidad, South America
The Pied Water-Tyrant has mainly white plumage; black nape, wings, tail, center of back.
Similar to: Masked Water-Tyrant. Masked Water-Tyrant has black mask; Pied Water-Tyrant has black nape.
Image by:  1) Dominic Sherony   2, 3) barloventomagico - northeastern Venezuela  4) Nick_Athanas - Brazil



Genus Gubernetes - 1 species

Tyrant,_Streamer-tailed  Gubernetes yetapa   Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay
The Streamer-tailed Tyrant has mainly pale gray plumage; black wings; long and deeply forked tail.
Similar to: Shear-tailed Gray Tyrant. The Streamer-tailed Tyrant has a long, thinner, amd more deeply forked tail than the Shear-tailed Gray Tyrant.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Brazil  2, 3) Dario Sanches = Brazil  4) Alexander Pasqual - Brazil



Genus Machetornis- 1 species

Tyrant,_Cattle  Machetornis rixosa  Found: South America
The Cattle Tyrant has brownish upperparts; pale throat, upper breast; yellowish lower breast, belly. Found in grassy areas.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Dario Sanches - Brazil   4) Cristiano Crolle - Esteros del Iberà, Argentina



Genus Muscipipra - 1 species

Tyrant,_Shear-tailed_Gray  Muscipipra vetula   Found: mainly Brazil; also Argentina, Paraguay
The Shear-tailed Gray Tyrant has mainly gray plumage; black tail, wings; long and forked tail.
Similar to: Streamer-tailed Tyrant. The Streamer-tailed Tyrant has a long, thinner, amd more deeply forked tail than the Shear-tailed Gray Tyrant.
Image by: 1) Nick_Athanas - Brazil  2) Carlos_de_Almeida - Brazil  3) Claudio_Timm - Brazil
 


Genus Muscisaxicola
Ground tyrants are ground-dwelling birds which inhabit open country in South America. They are fairly small with longish legs, a slender bill and an erect posture. The plumage is dull and mainly grey or brown with paler underparts.

Tyrant,_Black-fronted_Ground-  Muscisaxicola frontalis   Found: mainly Argentina, Bolivia, Chile; also Peru
The Black-fronted Ground-Tyrant has grayish upperparts; black forehead; whitish underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Argentina  2) Opisska - Argentina  3) Brendan_Ryan - Chile


Tyrant,_Cinereous_Ground-  Muscisaxicola cinereus   Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru
The Cinereous Ground-Tyrant has mainly gray upperparts; brown wings; plain gray crown.
Image by: 1) Ron_Knight  2) Opisska - Argentina


Tyrant,_Cinnamon-bellied_Ground-  Muscisaxicola capistratus   Found: mainly Argentina, Bolivia; also Chile, Peru
The Cinnamon-bellied Tyrant has black crown, face; rusty crown; cinnamon belly.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Chile


Tyrant,_Dark-faced_Ground-  Muscisaxicola maclovianus  Found: southern South America
The Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant has dark gray-brown upperparts; pale grayish underparts; dark brown crown; blackish face.
Image by: 1) David Cook - Falkland Islands  2) Yann  3, 4) Nick Athanas - Falkland Islands, Argentina


Tyrant,_Little_Ground-  Muscisaxicola fluviatilis   Found: Bolivia, Brazil, Peru
The Little Ground-Tyrant has gray-brown upperparts; darker wings; black tail; off-white underparts.
Image by: 1) Ken_Simonite - Peru  2) Tony_Castro


Tyrant,_Ochre_Ground-  Muscisaxicola flavinucha   Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru
The Ochre Ground-Tyrant has gray upperparts; pale yellow cap; white underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas -  Chile  2) Opisska Argentina


Tyrant,_Plain-capped_Ground-  Muscisaxicola alpinus   Found: Columbia, Ecuador
The Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant has medium gray upperparts; white supercilium; pale gray underparts.
Image by: 1) Nomdeploom  2) Robert_Lewis - Ecuador


Tyrant,_Puna_Ground-  Muscisaxicola juninensis   Found: Argentiana, Bolivia, Peru
The Puna Ground-Tyrant has grayish-brown upperparts; rusty capped; pale underparts. Usually found above 3500 meters, in the vicinity of wetland.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Chile  2) Opisska - Argentina


Tyrant,_Rufous-naped_Ground-  Muscisaxicola rufivertex   Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru
The Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant has gray upperparts; blackish wings, tail; rusty cap.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Peru  2) Hector_Bottai - Chile


Tyrant,_Spot-billed_Ground- Muscisaxicola maculirostris Found: Columbia to Argentina
The Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant has a dark eye-line; orange base to lower mandible.
Image by: 1) Charlie Westerinen - Argentina  2, 3) Tor Hogsas - Peru  4) Nick Athanas - Ecuador


Tyrant,_Taczanowski's_Ground- also Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant  Muscisaxicola griseus   Found: Bolivia, Peru
Taczanowski's_Ground-Tyrant has brownish-gray upperparts; whitish long supercilium, forehead; pale brownish-gray underparts.
Image by: 1) Josue_Hermoza - Peru  2) Francesco_Veronesi - Ecuador


Tyrant,_White-browed_Ground-  Muscisaxicola albilora   Found: Ecuador to Argentina
The White-browed Ground-Tyrant has brownish-gray upperparts; warm brown crown; bold white supercilium; dark eye-line; whitish underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Nick Athanas - Chile  3) Opisska - Argentina


Tyrant,_White-fronted_Ground-  Muscisaxicola albifrons   Found: mainly Bolivia, Peru; also Chile
The White-fronted Ground-Tyrant has brownish-gray upperparts; browner rear crown; white forehead; faint eye-line.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Peru  2) Richard_Gibbons - Peru



Genus Myiotheretes

Tyrant,_Rufous-bellied_Bush-  Myiotheretes fuscorufus   Found: Bolivia, Peru
The Rufous-bellied Bush-Tyrant has brown upperparts; grayish supercilium; blackish wings; white throat; rufous underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Peru  2)  Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Tor_Egil_Hogsas in Peru
 

Tyrant,_Rufous-webbed_Bush-  Polioxolmis rufipennis   Found: mainly Bolivia, Peru; also Argentina
The Rufous-webbed Bush-Tyrant has gray upperparts; lighter underpart; bright cinnamon under-wings.
Image by: 1, 2, 3) Nick Athanas - Peru
 

Tyrant,_Santa_Marta_Bush-  Myiotheretes pernix   Found: Santa Marta Mountains of northern Columbia
The Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant has dark brown upperparts; brown wings with rufous edges; white throat with dark streaks; rufous underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Columbia  2) Brendan_Ryan
 

Tyrant,_Smoky_Bush-  Myiotheretes fumigatus   Found: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Smoky Bush-Tyrant has mainly sooty brown plumage; 2 thin rufous wing-bars; grayish-white supercilium; mottled white throat.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Ecuador  2) Nomdeploom  3) Oscar_Marín-Gomez


Tyrant,_Streaked-throat_Bush-  Myiotheretes striaticollis   Found: Venezuela to Argentina
The Streak-throated Bush-Tyrant has brown upperparts; white throat with brown streaks; cinnamon underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Ecuador  2) Michael Woodruff - Ecuador
 


Genus Neoxolmis - 1 species

Tyrant,_Chocolate-vented  Neoxolmis rufiventris   Found: mainly Argentina, Uruguay; also Brazil
The Chocolate-vented Tyrant has a rufous belly; whitish shoulder.
Image by: 1) Dominic_Sherony - Argentina  2) Claudio Timm - Brazil
 


Genus Ochthoeca

Tyrant,_Brown-backed_Chat-  Ochthoeca fumicolor  Found: Venezuela to Bolivia
The Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant has rufous-brown upperparts; blackish wings with 2 cinnamon wing-bars; broad white supercilium; ashy throat; cinnamon underparts.
Image by: 1) Francesco_Veronesi - Columbia  2) Nick Athanas - Ecuador  3) Arley_Vargas


Tyrant,_Crowned_Chat-  Ochthoeca frontalis  Found: Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru
The Crowned Chat-Tyrant has brown upperparts; blackish wings; white supercilium; yellow lores; gray underparts.
Image by: 1) Aves y Conservación - Ecuador  2, 3) Nick Athanas - Ecuador


Tyrant,_d'Orbigny's_Chat-  Ochthoeca oenanthoides  Found: mainly Argentina, Bolivia, Peru; also Chile
The d'Orbigny's Chat-Tyrant has brownish upperparts; bold white supercilium; gray throat; rusty to cinnamon underparts.
Image by: 1) Opisska - Peru  2) Nick Athanas - Chile


Tyrant,_Golden-browed_Chat-  Ochthoeca pulchella  Found: Bolivia, Peru
The Golden-browed Chat-Tyrant has dark brown upperparts; 2 rufous wing-bars; rufous rump; gray head; golden supercilium, forehead.
Similar to: Jelski's Chat-Tyrant. Golden-browed Chat-Tyrant has darker upperparts than Jelski's Chat-Tyrant and also more extensive gold/yellow on forehead.
Image by: 1)  Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Daniel_Lane in Peru


Tyrant,_Jelski's_Chat-  Ochthoeca jelskii  Found: mainly Peru; also Ecuador
The Jelski's Chat-Tyrant has medium brown upperparts; blackish wings with rusty wing-bars; broad white supercilium; yellow lores; gray underparts.
Similar to: Golden-browed Chat-Tyrant. Golden-browed Chat-Tyrant has darker upperparts than Jelski's Chat-Tyrant and also more extensive gold/yellow on forehead.
Image by: 1) Roger Ahlman


Tyrant,_Piura_Chat-  Ochthoeca piurae  Found: west slopes of Andes in Peru
The Piura Chat-Tyrant has brown upperparts; gray face; broad white supercilium; whitish-gray underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Peru


Tyrant,_Rufous-breasted_Chat-  Ochthoeca rufipectoralis  Found: South America
The Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant has a rufous throat, upper breast; brown upperparts and wings in some subspecies; grayer upperparts and wings in other subspecies; white belly; broad white supercilium.
Similar to: White-browed Chat-Tyrant.  Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant has rufous throat, upper breast; White-browed Chat-Tyrant is gray there.
Image by:  1) David Cook  2) Carlos_Henrique - Ecuador  3, 4) Dominic Sherony 


Tyrant,_Slaty-backed_Chat-  Ochthoeca cinnamomeiventris  Found: Venezuela to Bolivia
The Slaty-backed Chat-Tyrant has dark gray upperparts, median crown stripe, throat; broad white supercilium; underparts mainly rufous.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Ecuador  2) Dave_Curtis - Columbia  3) Francesco_Veronesi - Ecuador


Tyrant,_White-browed Chat-  Ochthoeca leucophrys  Found: South America
The White-browed Chat-Tyrant has gray plumage, darker on the upperparts; bold white supercilium; white edged secondary wing feathers.
Similar to: Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant.  Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant has rufous throat, upper breast; White-browed Chat-Tyrant is gray there.
Image by:1) Dick Daniels - Machu Piccu, Peru  2) Nick Athanas - Argentina  3) Claudio_Timm


Tyrant,_Yellow-bellied_Chat-  Ochthoeca diadema  Found: mainly Columbia, Ecuador, Venezuela; also Peru
The Yellow-bellied Chat-Tyrant has rufous-olive upperparts; dark wings with 2 rufous wing-bars; broad yellow supercilium; olive breast; yellow belly.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Ecuador  2) Ana_Agreda - Ecuador  3) Felix_Uribe - Columbia



Genus Ochthornis - 1 species

Tyrant,_Drab_Water-  Ochthornis littoralis  Found: Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, the Guianas, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
The Drab Water-Tyrant has sandy brown plumage; darker wing; paler underparts; white supercilium, forehead; dark eye-line.
Image by: 1) David_Cook - Peru  2) Claudio_Timm - Brazil  3) Hector_Bottai - Brazil



Genus Tumbezia - 1 species

Tyrant,_Tumbes  Tumbezia salvini   Found: mainly Peru; rarely Ecuador
The Tumbes Tyrant has mainly olive-green upperparts; 2 white wing-bars; dark tail with narrow white sides; yellow supercilium, underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Ecuador  2) David_Cook - Peru



Genus Xolmis

Diucon,_Fire-eyed  Xolmis pyrope  Found: Chile, Argentina
The Fire-eyed Diucon has gray upperparts; light gray underparts; red eyes.
Image by: 1) dFaulder - Puerto Aisen, Chile  2) bibliojojo - Argentina  3, 4) Dick Daniels - Chile


Monjita, Black-and-white Xolmis dominicanus  Found: mainly Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay; also Paraguay
The Black-and-white Monjita has white plumage with black wings and tail.
Similar to: White Monjita. Black-and-white Monjita has all black tail; White Monjitaa has white tail with black tip.
Image by: 1, 2) Claudio_Timm -Uruguay  3) Hector_Bottai
1) Juvenile


Monjita,_Black-crowned  Xolmis coronatus   Found: mainly Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay; also Brazil
The Black-crowned Monjita has mainly gray upperparts; black crown; white band above eye; gray line behind eye; dark wing; white wing-bars; white forehead, throat, underparts.
Image by: 1. 3) Hector_Bottai - Uruguay  2) Claudio_Timm 


Monjita,_Gray  Xolmis cinereus  Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay
The Gray Monjita has gray upperparts; dark wings; dark tail with light tip; off-white underparts; white forehead; dark eye-line; dark moustachial stripe.
Image by: 1) Dario Sanches - Brazil    2) Dario Niz - Uruguay  3, 4) Nick Athanas - Brazil


Monjita,_Rusty-backed  Xolmis rubetra   Found: mainly Argentina; also Uruguay
The Rusty-backed Monjita has rusty brown back, crown; blackish wings with white wing-bars; white supercilium; dark eye-line; white underparts with thin dark streaks on flanks.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Argentina  2) Opisska - Argentina


Monjita,_Salinas  Xolmis salinarum   Found: salt flats of western Argentina
The Salinas Monjita is similar to the Rusty-backed Monjita but has lighter upperparts; more white on face and underparts.
Image by: 1, 2) Nick Athanas - Argentina
 

Monjita, White  Xolmis irupero    Found: South America
The White Monjita has white plumage with black tipped tail; black flight feathers.
Similar to: Black-and-white Monjita. Black-and-white Monjita has all black tail; White Monjitaa has white tail with black tip.
Image by:  1) Cláudio Timm - Brazil    2) Lip Kee Yap - Argentina  3) dFaulder - Argentina


Monjita,_White-rumped  Xolmis velatus   Found: mainly Bolivia, Brazil; also Paraguay
The White-rumped Monjita has brownish-gray back; black wings, black and white tail; white head, underparts.
Image by: 1) Nick Athanas - Brazil  2) Claudio_Timm - Brazil  3) Dario_Sanches
 






Back to Top