Masked Water Tyrant
Fluvicola nengeta
The Masked Water Tyrant (Fluvicola nengeta) is a uncommon tyrant flycatcher found in 7 countries, weighing about 21 g. The masked water tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers.
About the Masked Water Tyrant
The masked water tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and as a vagrant to Uruguay and Paraguay.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The masked water tyrant is 14.5 to 15 cm (5.7 to 5.9 in) long. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults are mostly white. They have a black stripe through the eye (the eponymous mask), a brownish gray tinge to the back, black wings, and a black tail with white feather tips. They have entirely white underparts. Subspecies F. n. atripennis has blacker wings than the nominate with white fringes on the tertials; the amount of white is variable. Both subspecies have a dark iris, a black bill, and black legs and feet. Voice: The masked water tyrant's call in Brazil is a "high, sharp peep". In Ecuador it is described as "a distinctive sharp kirt!" that is sometimes doubled and often given in flight. "Pairs sometimes chatter together." The species' song is "a repeated, soft dewdelewdel-dewdel".
What the Masked Water Tyrant sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Masked Water Tyrant can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Masked Water Tyrant?
- The masked water tyrant is 14.5 to 15 cm (5.7 to 5.9 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Masked Water Tyrant?
- The Masked Water Tyrant is a small sized bird weighing about 21 g.
- Where can you see a Masked Water Tyrant?
- The Masked Water Tyrant occurs in 7 countries, including Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Argentina.
- What does a Masked Water Tyrant sound like?
- You can listen to 2 field recordings of the Masked Water Tyrant on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Masked Water Tyrant?
- The Masked Water Tyrant is most easily confused with the Pied Water Tyrant.
- Is the Masked Water Tyrant endangered?
- The Masked Water Tyrant is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Masked Water 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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