Crested Black Tyrant
Knipolegus lophotes
The crested black tyrant is 20 to 21 cm (7.9 to 8.3 in) long. Unique in its genus, it has a long thin crest. The sexes have the same plumage; males are slightly larger than females. Adults are almost entirely glossy blue-black. Their remiges have white bases that are conspicuous in flight but usually not visible at rest. Both sexes have a dark red or reddish-brown iris, a black bill, and black legs and feet. The crested black tyrant and the phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), a member of the silky-flycatcher family Ptiliogonatidae, are almost alike in appearance. Voice: As of April 2025 xeno-canto and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library each had nine recordings of crested black tyrant vocalizations; one of them was in both. The species is usually silent, but its flight song is a "very high téetwee-twee-twee (middle twee lowest pitched)".
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
White-winged Black Tyrant
Knipolegus aterrimus
The white-winged black tyrant is 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in) long. Adult males of the nominate subspecies are almost entirely shiny black. Their wings have a wide white band on the inner webs of the primaries and secondaries that is very conspicuous in flight but usually hidden when perched. Adult females have a mostly grayish brown head and upperparts with a slightly darker crown, whitish mottling on the face and lores, and a bright cinnamon-rufous rump.
ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Play today's Daily BirdPhotos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Crested Black Tyrant and White-winged Black Tyrant.