Ground tyrant

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Ground tyrants
Perched Spot-billed Ground-tyrant (Muscisaxicola maculirostris) side view.jpg
Spot-billed ground tyrant (Muscisaxicola maculirostris)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Muscisaxicola
d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837
Type species
Muscisaxicola rufivertex [1]
d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837

The ground tyrants (Muscisaxicola) are a genus of passerine birds belonging to the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. There are about 13 different species. They are ground-dwelling birds which inhabit open country in South America, particularly the Andes and Patagonia. Several southern species are migratory, moving northward for the winter. Ground tyrants feed on insects and other invertebrates, mainly by picking them from the ground.

Contents

A flight display is performed during the breeding season. The nest is a cup of twigs or grass which, in most species, is built in a burrow, crevice or under rocks.

Ground tyrants are fairly small (13–20 cm in length) with longish legs, a slender bill and an erect posture. The plumage is dull and mainly grey or brown with paler underparts. The head is variably patterned with several species having rufous patches on the crown or white between the bill and eye. The birds have simple calls and are often silent.

Systematics and taxonomy

A study of mitochondrial DNA by Chesser (2000) has shown that the little ground tyrant (M. fluviatilis) is highly divergent and not closely related to the other ground tyrants. All the remaining species are related and form a monophyletic group, although the spot-billed ground tyrant (M. maculirostris) is somewhat divergent from the others. The little and spot-billed ground tyrants are smaller and browner than the other species and the little ground tyrant also differs in its habitat, occurring near rivers in the Amazon rainforest. [2]

The paramo ground tyrant (M. alpinus) and Taczanowski's ground tyrant (M. griseus) were previously treated as a single species but are genetically divergent with the paramo ground tyrant belonging to a southern Andean and Patagonian clade within the genus and Taczanowski's ground tyrant belonging to a central Andean clade. [2] The name plain-capped ground tyrant is used by some authors to refer to M. griseus with paramo ground tyrant used for M. alpinus.

The genus name Muscisaxicola is masculine, therefore the species names griseus, cinereus, maclovianus, alpinus and capistratus are correct rather than grisea, cinerea, macloviana, alpina and capistrata. The names flavinucha and albilora are invariable. [3]

Species list

The genus contains 12 species: [4]

The little ground tyrant was formerly placed in Muscisaxicola but was moved to the monotypic genus Syrtidicola following the publication of a phylogenetic study in 2020. [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark-faced ground tyrant</span> Species of bird

The dark-faced ground tyrant is a small passerine bird belonging to the tyrant flycatcher family. It is a ground-dwelling bird that breeds in the southern Andes region and the Falkland Islands. It feeds on small invertebrates such as flies and moths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire-eyed diucon</span> Species of bird

The fire-eyed diucon is a passerine bird of South America belonging to the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Pyrope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-fronted ground tyrant</span> Species of bird

The white-fronted ground tyrant is a species of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is found in Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland and swamps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-browed ground tyrant</span> Species of bird

The white-browed ground tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It breeds in the Andes in Argentina and Chile between 1,500 and 4,000 m above sea-level. It migrates north to Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It is a vagrant to the Falkland Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramo ground tyrant</span> Species of bird

The paramo ground tyrant, also known as the paramo ground-tyrant, is a species of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae. plain-capped ground tyrant was formerly considered to be a subspecies of M. alpinus but is now commonly treated as a separate species. The name "plain-capped ground tyrant" is sometimes used for M. alpinus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinnamon-bellied ground tyrant</span> Species of bird

The cinnamon-bellied ground tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinereous ground tyrant</span> Species of bird

The cinereous ground tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. The term cinereous describes its colouration. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ochre-naped ground tyrant</span> Species of bird

The ochre-naped ground tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers, specifically the ground tyrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little ground tyrant</span> Species of bird

The little ground tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers and is the only species placed in the genus Syrtidicola. It is found in Amazonian Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia; also smaller regions of Colombia and Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrubland and rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taczanowski's ground tyrant</span> Species of bird

Taczanowski's ground tyrant or the plain-capped ground tyrant, is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found in Bolivia and Peru. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puna ground tyrant</span> Species of bird

The puna ground tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland and swamps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spot-billed ground tyrant</span> Species of bird

The spot-billed ground tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-naped ground tyrant</span> Species of bird

The rufous-naped ground tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.

<i>Neoxolmis</i> Genus of birds

Neoxolmis is a genus of South American birds in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-webbed bush tyrant</span> Species of bird

The rufous-webbed bush tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found mostly in Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru with a few records in Chile, where its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey monjita</span> Species of tyrant flycatcher bird found in South America

The grey monjita is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae that is the only member of the genus Nengetus. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, and pastureland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-crowned monjita</span> Species of bird

The black-crowned monjita is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salinas monjita</span> Species of bird

The Salinas monjita is a species of bird in the tyrant flycatchers family Tyrannidae which is endemic to Argentina. It is threatened by habitat loss.

References

  1. "Tyrannidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  2. 1 2 Chesser, R. Terry (2000). "Evolution in the High Andes: the Phylogenetics of Muscisaxicola Ground-Tyrants" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 15 (3): 369–380. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.533.7935 . doi:10.1006/mpev.1999.0774. PMID   10860646. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-09. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
  3. South American Classification Committee (2007) A classification of the bird species of South America, part 8 Archived 2007-06-25 at the Wayback Machine . citing David N. & Gosselin M. (2002). "The grammatical gender of avian genera". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 122: 257–282.
  4. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Tyrant flycatchers". IOC World Bird List Version 11.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  5. Chesser, R.T.; Harvey, M.H.; Brumfield, R.T.; Derryberry, E.P. (2020). "A revised classification of the Xolmiini (Aves: Tyrannidae: Fluvicolinae), including a new genus for Muscisaxicola fluviatilis". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 133 (1): 35–48. doi:10.2988/20-00005.

Further reading

Video, spottings and photos on Birds of the world.