Knipolegus striaticeps
The Cinereous Tyrant (Knipolegus striaticeps), a striking member of the Tyrannidae family, is a small, ash-gray flycatcher endemic to the arid regions of south-central South America. Measuring approximately 13-14 cm (5.1-5.5 inches) in length and weighing around 12-16 grams, its plumage is subtly beautiful. Males are uniformly pale ash-gray, often appearing faintly streaked on the crown and nape (hence 'striaticeps'), with a darker lore and a distinctive white patch at the base of the primari...
This tyrant primarily inhabits arid and semi-arid scrublands, including Chaco forest edges, thorny bush country, and open woodlands, typically found at elevations ranging from 500 to 3,500 meters.
The diet of the Cinereous Tyrant consists almost exclusively of insects and other arthropods, which they capture primarily through aerial sallies from exposed perches.
Cinereous Tyrants are diurnal, active primarily during daylight hours, often perching conspicuously on exposed branches, cacti, or fence posts. They are classic flycatchers, employing a sally-strike foraging technique, darting out from a perch to snatch insects in mid-air or glean them from folia...
The Cinereous Tyrant is widely distributed across the arid and semi-arid regions of south-central South America, primarily within Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and extreme southern Peru. Its breeding range encompasses much of central and northern Argentina, extending into the Chaco regions of wes...
Least Concern
- The species name "striaticeps" literally means "striped head," referring to the subtle streaking on its crown, though this can be hard to discern in the field. - Unlike most other "black-tyrants" in its genus Knipolegus, the Cinereous Tyrant is predominantly gray, making it a unique outlier in ...