TYRANT FLYCATCHERS   -   TYRANNIDAE   -   PART I

Planalto Tyrannulet Phyllomyias fasciatus brevirostris(?) Michelin forest, Ituberá, Bahia state, Brazil. The most common and widespread Phyllomyias in the Atlantic Rainforest region, and a good basis for comparison with others of the same, often confusing, genus. Unfortunately at the moment this is the only one I have photographed.

Forest Elaenia Myiopagis gaimardii macilvainii Parque Metropolitano, Panama City, Panama. A silly name as there are plenty of elaenias that live in forest.

Yellow-bellied Elaenia Elaenia flavogaster flavogaster Michelin forest, Ituberá, Bahia state, Brazil. Elaenias can be one of the biggest identification problems in South America. This one is probably the most common and widespread of the genus, and usually one of the easier ones, but can also be difficult when in worn plumage and not vocalizing.		White-crested Elaenia Elaenia albiceps (ssp. unknown) Manu road between Pillahuata and San Pedro, Cusco department, Peru.

Slaty Elaenia Elaenia strepera Rio Sosa, Tucumán province, Argentina. Perhaps the easiest Elaenia to identify thanks to its predominantly gray plumage. It is a long distance migrant, breeding in the Andes of southern Bolivia and northern Argentina in the austral summer, and wintering mainly in Venezuela.

Plain-crested Elaenia Elaenia cristata cristata Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. A specialist in low, scrubby savannas. The well-defined, dark, triangular crest is usually distinctive. Compare the crest shape to the Yellow-bellied Elaenia above, which often occurs together with Plain-crested.

Plain-crested Elaenia Elaenia cristata cristata Gran Sabana, Bolívar state, Venezuela. A different angle. In this shot it looks more like a lark than a flycatcher...

Highland Elaenia Elaenia obscura sordida Ilha Comprida, São Paulo state, Brazil. A poorly-named species, as it can occur all the way down to sea level in Brazil. Shape alone is usually enough to ID this one, with a very small head relative to its body size, and the lack of any real crest.		Highland Elaenia Elaenia obscura sordida Chapada de Diamantina, Bahia state, Brazil. Another example to demonstrate the plumage variation within even the same subspecies. However, it still has the typical small, round head.

White-lored Tyrannulet Ornithion inerme Cristalino Jungle Lodge, Mato Grosso state, Brazil Digiscoped distantly from the top of the canopy tower.

Chapada Flycatcher Suiriri islerorum Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. This species was only described in 2001. Note the pale tips to the tail feathers, a good feature to distinguish it from the similar Suiriri Flycatcher (S. suiriri).

Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant Anairetes flavirostris flavirostris Yavi, Jujuy province, Argentina. This subspecies has a unique migration, breeding in the high Andes of Argentina and Bolivia, and wintering in the low plains to the east of the mountains.

Sooty Tyrannulet Serpophaga nigricans Serra da Canastra National Park, Minas Gerais state, Brazil.

Mouse-colored Tyrannulet Phaeomyias murina murina Chapada de Araripe, Ceará state, Brazil. This species can also be confusing. Look for the long, slender shape combined with brown plumage, two pale wingbars that often appear tan, and the pale super.

Mouse-colored Tyrannulet Phaeomyias murina inflava Bosque de Pomac, Lambayeque department, Peru. Ridgely and Greenfield (2001) treated the three races in SW Ecuador and NW Peru as a distinct species (Tumbesian Tyrannulet, P. tumbezana) based mainly on vocalizations. That might be the best course, but there has never been a systematic study of the species.

Bearded Tachuri Polystictus pectoralis brevipennis Karanambu Ranch, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region, Guyana. Female. It specializes in savannas with tall grass, though they seem to be thinly spread even in the best habitat.

Rufous-sided Pygmy-Tyrant Euscarthmus rufomarginatus Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. An appalling photo, but this is a rather rare species. It has a large range, mainly in the cerrado of Brazil, but is incredibly localized and known only from relatively few sites.

Greater Wagtail-Tyrant Stigmatura budytoides gracilis Canudos-Jeremoaba road, Bahia state, Brazil. Very similar to the sympatric race bahiae of Lesser Wagtail-Tyrant (S. napensis). I identified this as S. budytoides based on the gray crown, clear yellow underparts, and solid white wing coverts.

Red-billed Tyrannulet Zimmerius cinereicapilla Afluente, San Martín department, Peru. The red bill can be hard to see in the field since you are often looking up on the bird in badly backlit conditions. I was lucky to get this one down low in front of a distant mountainside.

Southern Bristle-Tyrant Phylloscartes eximius Macaé de Cima, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. An infrequently recorded species; the one in this photo is still the only one I've ever seen.

Restinga Tyrannulet Phylloscartes kronei Ilha Comprida, São Paulo state, Brazil. Described only in 1992, this Brazilian endemic inhabits a narrow strip of coastal scrub from southern São Paulo to Paraná.

Ornate Flycatcher Myiotriccus ornatus stellatus Milpe Bird Sanctuary, Pichincha province, Ecuador. A unique tyrannid found in foothill cloudforest throughout the northern Andes.

Sharp-tailed Tyrant Culicivora caudacuta Serra da Canastra National Park, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. A unique flycatcher that requires extensive areas of undisturbed tall grassland, which means it now occurs almost exclusively withing national parks and other protected areas.

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