Knipolegus poecilurus
The Rufous-tailed Tyrant, a striking member of the Tyrannidae family, is a small yet distinctive flycatcher of northern South America. Measuring approximately 13-14 cm (5-5.5 inches) in length and weighing around 10-15 grams (0.35-0.53 oz), this species exhibits notable sexual dimorphism. Males typically display a sleek, sooty blackish to dark gray plumage, contrasting sharply with their namesake bright rufous tail base and undertail coverts, often accented by a subtle white wing-stripe. Fema...
Found primarily in montane evergreen and deciduous forests, preferring forest edges, clearings, and secondary growth. This species is typically encountered at elevations ranging from 500 to 2,500 meters.
Feeds almost exclusively on insects and other small arthropods, primarily captured through aerial flycatching from an exposed perch.
The Rufous-tailed Tyrant is a diurnal and highly active insectivore, often perching conspicuously on exposed branches or snags at mid-levels of the forest. Its primary foraging strategy involves sallying forth from a perch to snatch flying insects in mid-air, frequently returning to the same favo...
The Rufous-tailed Tyrant boasts a wide, yet somewhat disjunct, distribution across northern South America, primarily within the Andes and Guiana Shield regions. Its breeding range encompasses the Andes of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, extending eastward into northern Brazil (Ro...
Least Concern
- The Rufous-tailed Tyrant exhibits one of the most striking examples of sexual dimorphism among the *Knipolegus* black-tyrants, with males being dark and females rufous-brown. - Despite its 'tyrant' name, which often implies aggressiveness, its vocalizations are relatively soft and wistful, a st...