Alectrurus tricolor
The Cock-tailed Tyrant, *Alectrurus tricolor*, is a striking and distinctive South American passerine renowned for the male's extraordinary tail morphology. Males measure 17-18 cm in length, with their outer tail feathers alone accounting for a significant portion, while females are shorter at about 12 cm; weights typically range from 15-18 grams. The male boasts a sleek blackish crown, a contrasting white supercilium, black ear-coverts, a predominantly black back, and pristine white underpar...
Found in open, humid grasslands, savannas, and marshy pastures, often with scattered low bushes or tall grass. Primarily inhabits low-lying plains and floodplains.
Primarily insectivorous, feeding on a wide variety of insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, flies, and other small invertebrates. Forages by sallying and gleaning from low perches.
Cock-tailed Tyrants are diurnal and typically solitary or found in pairs during the breeding season. They are primarily insectivorous, employing a 'sally-glean' foraging strategy, perching on an exposed stem or low bush, then darting out to catch insects in mid-air or glean them from vegetation, ...
The Cock-tailed Tyrant has a patchy and fragmented distribution across central and southern South America. Its primary range includes southeastern Bolivia, eastern Paraguay, southwestern Brazil (states of Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul),...
Vulnerable
- The male Cock-tailed Tyrant's outer tail feathers can be nearly twice the length of its body, accounting for its common name. - These highly modified tail feathers are stiff and broad, often held at an unusual angle during flight, giving the bird a 'cocked' appearance. - Despite their dramatic ...