White-winged Black-Tyrant
Knipolegus aterrimus
Medium-sized flycatcher of middle- and high-elevation scrub and open woodlands. Perches upright in bushes and trees, sallying out to catch insects on the wing. Males are black with a conspicuous white wing flash in flight created by white inner edges of the wing feathers; females are tan with white wingbars and reddish patches at the base of the tail and in the wings. Males are darker black and more iridescent than other black-tyrants. White wingbars and dark eye of female help distinguish it from similar species; it is lighter with a more prominent reddish rump patch than Jelski’s Black-Tyrant.
Identification
The white-winged black tyrant (Knipolegus aterrimus) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, and as a vagrant to Brazil and Chile.
Taxonomy
The white-winged black tyrant was formally described in 1853 as Cnipolegus aterrimus . [ 5 ] The genus' spelling was later changed to Knipolegus . What is now Knipolegus franciscanus was long treated as a subspecies of K. aterrimus . By 2008 HBW had treated it as a full species. [ 6 ] Following a 2012 publication that confirmed its status, other taxonomic systems followed suit, though they variously call it the Sao Francisco black tyrant and caatinga black-tyrant. [ 7 ] [ 3 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] The white-winged black tyrant's further taxonomy is unsettled. The IOC and the Clements taxonomy assign it three subspecies, the nominate K. a. aterrimus ( Kaup , 1853), K. a. anthracinus ( Heine , 1860), and K. a. heterogyna ( Berlepsch , 1907). BirdLife International 's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) recognizes heterogyna as a separate species, the white-rumped black-tyrant. Clements recognizes heterogyna as the "white-winged black-tyrant (white-rumped)" within the species. [ 3 ] [ 8 ] [ 10 ] This article follows the one species, three-subspecies model.
- Scientific name
- Knipolegus aterrimus
- Authority
- Kaup, 1853
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Genus
- Knipolegus
Range and habitat
The white-winged black tyrant has a disjunct distribution . Subspecies K. a. heterogyna is found separately from the other two, in Peru's Marañón River valley between the departments of Cajamarca and Ancash (not shown on map). Subspecies K. a. anthracinus is found from Junín Department in central Peru south and east into northwestern Bolivia's La Paz Department . The nominate subspecies is found from southern La Paz and Cochabamba departments in Bolivia south through western Paraguay and Argentina as far as Chubut Province . [ 11 ] [ 12 ] [ 13 ] The species has also occurred as a vagrant in Brazil and Chile. [ 4 ] The white-winged black tyrant inhabits a variety of somewhat open arid and semi-arid landscapes. These include scrublands, woodlands, the edges of thicker forest, and secondary forest . In elevation it mostly ranges overall between 1,500 and 3,000 m (4,900 and 9,800 ft) but occasionally is found as low as 250 m (800 ft) and as high as 3,800 m (12,500 ft) . In Peru it occurs between 1,800 and 3,600 m (5,900 and 11,800 ft) . [ 11 ] [ 12 ]
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Great Inca-Finch
Incaspiza pulchra
Handsome finch-like bird found only on the west slope of the Andes in central Peru. Adult is gray with chestnut wings and black face and throat. The legs and bill are yellow; the white outer tail feathers are usually only evident in flight. Similar to Rufous-backed Inca-Finch, but has a smaller black mask, larger throat patch, and browner back. Juvenile is washed out and streaky, showing only a hint of the face and throat markings. Inhabits arid areas with dense scrub, and feeds mainly on the ground.
Eurasian Coot
Fulica atra
Distinctive stocky waterbird. Adult is dark gray overall with a white bill and forehead shield. Immature has a pale breast and a duller bill that becomes brighter white with age. When walking on shore, note big feet with lobed toes. Inhabits both freshwater and brackish marshes, lakeshores, and riverways; occasionally on saltwater. Breeding pairs aggressively territorial but nonbreeding flocks can number in hundreds. Unmistakable throughout much of range, but compare with very similar Red-knobbed Coot in areas of overlap. Calls are diverse, and include various high-pitched squeaks, squawks, and shorter, more clipped notes.
Common Murre
Uria aalge
Black-and-white seabird with crisp patterning. Dark brownish-black above with white belly. Head entirely dark in breeding plumage; nonbreeding show white face with curved dark line below eye. Sides usually show some messy dark streaks. Bill is longer and more slender than similar Thick-billed Murre; but can be difficult to judge at a distance. Also note browner plumage and streaky sides on Common Murre. Breeds in colonies on rocky islands and cliffs; spends the rest of the year on the ocean. Usually single or in loose small groups; in the Atlantic, sometimes seen in loose association with Razorbills.
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