- Knipolegus poecilurus
Identification
14·5–15 cm (5¾-6 in)
- Grey upperparts with buffy wing bars
- Grey streaks in breast band
- Salmon underside with pale rufous undertail coverts and underside of tail.
- Notice the red eye
Variations
The birds from the Tepuis are darker, less rufous (almost none in the tail) with more contrasting breast band.
Distribution
South America in several separate populations: Andes of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador; Andes of Colombia, and Venezuela; coastal mts of Venezuela; Tepuis of Brazil, Guyana, and Venezuela.
Taxonomy
Five subspecies are recognized[1]:
- K. p. poecilurus:
- K. p. venezuelanus:
- Coastal cordillera of northern Venezuela (Distrito Federal)
- K. p. paraquensis:
- Subtropical southern Venezuela (Cerro Paraque area of Amazonas)
- K. p. salvini:
- K. p. peruanus:
Habitat
Moist montane forest edges and high altitude shrubland.
Behaviour
Diet
Usually sitting in relatively open spots, sallying for insects.
Not associated with mixed flocks.
Breeding
The only nests seen have contained a single egg.
Gallery
Click on photo for larger image
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Ridgely and Tudor 2009. Field guide to the songbirds of South America - The Passerines. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-71979-8
- Restall et al. 2006. Birds of Northern South America. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300124156
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Oct 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Rufous-tailed Tyrant. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 3 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rufous-tailed_Tyrant
