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Cock-tailed Tyrant

Alectrurus tricolor

Tyrant Flycatchers and Allies · Passeriformes · Rare

The Cock-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus tricolor) is a rare tyrant flycatcher found in 3 countries, weighing about 16 g. The cock-tailed tyrant is a Vulnerable species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers.

VulnerableRareEats invertebratesgrasslandcup nest16 g
Cock-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus tricolor), photo 1
Photo: Naturalist Tours · http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
Cock-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus tricolor), photo 2
Photo: Abby Darrah · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Cock-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus tricolor), photo 3
Photo: Abby Darrah · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Cock-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus tricolor), photo 4
Photo: Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Cock-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus tricolor), photo 5
Photo: Jan Ebr & Ivana Ebrová · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Cock-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus tricolor), photo 6
Photo: sussexbirder · CC BY 2.0
Cock-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus tricolor), photo 7
Photo: William Swainson · Public domain
Cock-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus tricolor), photo 8
Photo: Nicolas Huet / Jean Gabriel Prêtre · Public domain
Cock-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus tricolor), photo 9
Photo: Swainson, William · Public domain
Cock-tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus tricolor), photo 10
Photo: Gray, George Robert; Hullmandel & Walton; Hullmandel, Charles Joseph; Mitchell, D. W. · Public domain

About the Cock-tailed Tyrant

The cock-tailed tyrant is a Vulnerable species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The cock-tailed tyrant is about 12 cm (4.7 in) long excluding the male's 7 cm (2.8 in) tail streamers. Adult males have a black crown and nape and a white or whitish face. Their back is mostly black with white scapulars and a gray rump. Their wings are black with a white patch on the secondaries. Their tail is black. It is very wide with long stiff central feathers that are twisted to the vertical. The other feathers are compressed against the central ones. Their underparts are mostly white with a black patch on the sides of the chest that connect to the nape. Voice: The cock-tailed tyrant is mostly silent but makes soft tic notes during the display flight.

Where it lives

Brazil Bolivia Paraguay

When to see it

Best months: May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in October. It is a variable species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Cock-tailed Tyrant?
The cock-tailed tyrant is about 12 cm (4.7 in) long excluding the male's 7 cm (2.8 in) tail streamers. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Cock-tailed Tyrant?
The Cock-tailed Tyrant is a small sized bird weighing about 16 g.
Where can you see a Cock-tailed Tyrant?
The Cock-tailed Tyrant occurs in 3 countries, including Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay.
What birds look similar to a Cock-tailed Tyrant?
The Cock-tailed Tyrant is most easily confused with the Strange-tailed Tyrant.
Is the Cock-tailed Tyrant endangered?
The Cock-tailed Tyrant is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Cock-tailed Tyrant for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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