Agriornis lividus
The Great Shrike-Tyrant, *Agriornis lividus*, is an imposing and robust member of the Tyrannidae family, earning its name from its shrike-like predatory habits. Averaging 26-28 cm (10-11 inches) in length and weighing around 100-110 grams, it is one of the largest tyrant-flycatchers. Its plumage is generally somber, with a dusky grayish-brown back and head, a paler, often whitish or buffy, belly, and dark wings and tail. A subtle but distinct pale supercilium often provides a key field mark, ...
Found in arid to semi-arid open country, rocky slopes, Patagonian steppe, and shrubland, often near water or dense thickets, from sea level up to 2000 meters in elevation.
Their diet consists primarily of large insects like beetles and grasshoppers, but they are formidable predators of small vertebrates, including lizards, rodents, and nestling birds and eggs.
The Great Shrike-Tyrant is primarily diurnal, actively foraging during the day and roosting solitarily or in pairs on prominent perches at night. Its foraging strategy is distinctively shrike-like; it perches conspicuously on bushes, rocks, or fence posts, scanning the ground for prey. Once spott...
The Great Shrike-Tyrant is resident across a significant portion of southern South America. Its primary breeding and year-round range extends throughout much of Chile, from the Coquimbo Region south to Tierra del Fuego. In Argentina, it is found in the western and southern provinces, including Ne...
Least Concern
- The Great Shrike-Tyrant is one of the largest members of the Tyrannidae family, making it an imposing figure among flycatchers. - Unlike most flycatchers that specialize in aerial insect hawking, this species is largely terrestrial, often hunting its prey from the ground. - It shares hunting ta...