Muscisaxicola flavinucha
The Ochre-naped Ground Tyrant, *Muscisaxicola flavinucha*, is a striking medium-sized passerine, measuring 17-18 cm in length and weighing approximately 25-30 grams. Its most distinctive feature is a prominent ochre or rufous-yellow wash across its nape and hindneck, contrasted by a blackish facial mask and a bright white supercilium that often extends behind the eye. Upperparts are a subdued dark gray-brown, while the underparts are a clean grayish-white, giving it a neat, terrestrial appear...
Found in high-altitude Andean puna, grasslands, bogs, and rocky slopes, typically inhabiting elevations between 3,000 and 4,700 meters, often near water sources.
Feeds predominantly on insects, including beetles, flies, grasshoppers, and ants, along with other small terrestrial invertebrates.
This diurnal species is primarily terrestrial, spending much of its active time hopping and running across open ground, often perching conspicuously on rocks or low tussocks. Foraging involves short, agile flights to snatch insects from the air or pouncing from a low perch onto ground-dwelling pr...
The Ochre-naped Ground Tyrant breeds in the high Andean regions of western South America, extending from central Bolivia southward through northern and central Chile and western Argentina. Its breeding distribution encompasses the high plateaus and montane grasslands of these countries. While con...
Least Concern
- Its specific name, *flavinucha*, literally means 'yellow nape' in Latin, perfectly describing its most distinctive field mark. - This ground tyrant is a high-altitude specialist, regularly recorded above 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) in the Andes. - The genus name *Muscisaxicola* combines elements...