TYRANT FLYCATCHERS   -   TYRANNIDAE  -  PART III

Gray Monjita Xolmis cinereus cinereus Southeast of Sumidouro, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The ruby-red eye sets it apart from all the other monjitas.

White-rumped Monjita Xolmis velatus Southeast of Sumidouro, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.

White Monjita Xolmis irupero irupero San Jose de las Salinas, Córdoba province, Argentina. An immaculate, gleaming bird that can be detected at great distances thanks to it's preference to very open habitats.

Salinas Monjita Xolmis salinarum Salinas Grandes, Córdoba province, Argentina. This attractive flycatcher is endemic to central Argentina, where it lives in low, stunted vegetation on the edge of salt pans.

Streamer-tailed Tyrant Gubernetes yetapa North of Sumidouro, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. I think this is the largest member of the family (40 cm), and probably the most spectacular, especially when pairs display such as in this shot.

Pied Water-Tyrant Fluvicola pica Játira dam, Falcón state, Venezuela.

Masked Water-Tyrant Fluvicola nengeta nengeta Guapi Assu Bird Lodge, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. This bird has possibly the most disjunct range in South America. It occurs on opposite ends of the continent, with one race in eastern Brazil and the other mostly restricted to Ecuador west of the Andes.		Masked Water-Tyrant Fluvicola nengeta atripennis Los Bancos, Pichincha province, Ecuador. The great similarities in plumage and voice make it unlikely that the two races will be split despite their disjunct ranges.

White-headed Marsh-Tyrant Arundinicola leucocephala Pantanal Highway, Mato Grosso state, Brazil. Male. A common bird in wetland areas throughout much of South America.

Cock-tailed Tyrant Alectrurus tricolor Serra da Canastra NP, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Male, probably a juvenile. A wierd flycatcher restricted to tall, ungrazed grasslands. Widespread destruction of it's habitat has left it rather rare and local. This photo hardly does it justice - full adult males fly around with their tails cocked up making them look like toy airplanes!

Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant Ochthoeca fumicolor brunneifrons Mirador reserve, Quindío department, Colombia. My only representative to date of this typical Andean genus. This one occurs at extremely high altitudes, and I have seen them well over 4000 m (13,000 ft).		Cattle Tyrant Machetornis rixosa rixosa This one is found throughout much of South America, wherever the appropriate open savanna habitat occurs. It is a bit reminiscent of a Tropical Kingbird, but its terrestial behavior makes it difficult to confuse.

Rusty-margined Flycatcher Myiozetetes cayanensis rufipennis Posada El Limon, Maracay, Aragua state, Venezuela.

Social Flycatcher Myiozetetes similis columbianus Posada El Limon, Maracay, Aragua state, Venezuela. This race is rather distinctive, with an olive back and gray face. This gives it a rather pale appearance. Note the obvious pale edging to the wing coverts; Rusty-margineds often show a bit of this, as you can see in the previous photo, but it is usually much more obvious on Socials.

Gray-capped Flycatcher Myiozetetes granadensis obscurior Palmarí Lodge, Amazonas state, Brazil.

White-bearded Flycatcher Phelpsia inornata 20km south of Calabozo, Guárico state, Venezuela. This flycatcher is endemic to the Llanos (seasonally flooded savannas) of Venezuela and adjacent Colombia. It usually has a "fluffy" appearance in the field, with the side and throat feathers puffed out, a feature even evident in this poor photo.

Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus sulphuratus Shiripuno Lodge, Orellana province, Ecuador. One of the most common and widespread of all neotropical birds. For inexplicable reasons, it does not occur west of the Andes, even in seemingly perfect habitat.

Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus guatimalensis La Selva OTS, Heredia province, Costa Rica.		Lesser Kiskadee Pitangus lictor lictor Yacambú NP, Lara state, Venezuela. Unlike it's congener, Lesser Kiskadee is always found near water. Its long, narrow bill separates it from other similar species like Rusty-margined Flycatcher (Myiozetetes cayanensis).

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