The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They are considered the largest family of birds known to exist in the world, with more than 400 species. They are the most diverse avian family in every country in the Americas, except for the United States and Canada. The members vary greatly in shape, patterns, size and colors. Some tyrant flycatchers may superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, which they are named after but are not closely related to. They are members of suborder Tyranni (suboscines), which do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of most other songbirds.
The genus Empidonax is a group of small insect-eating passerine birds in the tyrant flycatcher family, the Tyrannidae. The genus name Empidonax is from Ancient Greek empis, "gnat", and anax, "master".
Pyrocephalus is a genus of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae.
Myiozetetes is a small genus of passerine birds in the tyrant flycatcher family. The four species occur in tropical Central and South America.
The spadebills are a genus, Platyrinchus, of Central and South American passerine birds in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. They have broad, flat, triangular bills.
The shrike-tyrants are a genus, Agriornis, of birds in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. The members of this genus are found in open habitats in western and southern South America, usually at high elevations. They are large and heavy billed by tyrant-flycatcher standards, and include the largest representative of the family, the great shrike-tyrant. These five species all have a dull brownish or greyish plumage. Despite their name any similarity with the shrikes is superficial. Many field guides note their greater resemblance to thrushes.
The many-colored rush tyrant or many-coloured rush tyrant is a small passerine bird of South America belonging to the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae. It is the only member of the genus Tachuris and is sometimes placed in a separate monotypic family. It inhabits marshland and reedbeds around lakes and rivers. It is particularly associated with stands of Scirpus. The nest is built among plant stems.
Knipolegus is a genus of birds, the black tyrants, in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae.
McConnell's flycatcher is a species of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is found in the Guiana Shield, northern Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
Myiopagis is a genus of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. These species are closely related to the genus Elaenia but are generally smaller.
Phylloscartes is a genus of small birds in the family Tyrannidae. They are found in wooded habitats of Central and South America. They mainly feed on small arthropods, and most commonly take part in mixed species flocks. The mottled-cheeked tyrannulet is among the commonest birds in its range, but several other species are rare and threatened. Their plumage is predominantly green, yellow, white and grey, and many have contrasting facial patterns and wing-bars. They have thin, pointed bills, and relatively long tails. Most frequently cock their tail, perch relatively horizontally and are very active.
Poecilotriccus is a genus of small flycatchers in the family Tyrannidae. Except for the recently described Johnson's tody-flycatcher, all have, at one point or another, been included in the genus Todirostrum. Some species have been known as tody-tyrants instead of tody-flycatchers. Most species are found in South America, but a single species, the slate-headed tody-flycatcher, is also found in Central America. The black-chested tyrant may also belong in this genus, but most place it in the monotypic genus Taeniotriccus.
Tolmomyias is a genus of Neotropical birds in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is one of the two genera containing the "flatbills"; the other is Rhynchocyclus.
Pogonotriccus is a genus of small passerine birds in the family Tyrannidae. They are found in wooded habitats of Central and South America.
Lessonia is a genus of South American birds in the tyrant flycatcher family, found near freshwater lakes and saline marshes.
Uromyias is a genus of small Andean, tyrant flycatchers known as tit-tyrants. They were formerly recognized based on syrinxial and plumage characters, including a flatter crest and a longer tail, but was included within Anairetes due to genetic analysis. Recent analyses suggested splitting into Uromyias again.
Anairetes is a genus containing the tit-tyrants, a group of small, mainly Andean birds, in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. The group briefly included the genus Uromyias, which had been recognized based on syringeal and plumage characters, including a flatter crest and a longer tail, but was included within Anairetes due to genetic analysis. Recent analyses suggested splitting into Uromyias again. Anairetes is believed to be most closely related to the genera Mecocerculus and Serpophaga; however, there is no definitive evidence supporting this claim.
The Yungas tyrannulet is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is, as suggested by its common name, restricted to humid and semi-humid forest in the Yungas of north-western Bolivia and far south-eastern Peru. Although discovered in the early 1990s, it was only formally described in 2008.
Sirystes is a genus of birds in the tyrant flycatcher family, Tyrannidae. They used to be all considered conspecific. Vocal differences primarily separated the superspecies into four distinct taxa.
The Sierra de Lema flycatcher or Tepui flycatcher is a species of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is found in highland areas, including the table-top mountains (tepui), of southern Venezuela and the neighbouring parts of Brazil and Guiana. Its natural habitats are moist montane forests.
