Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant
Muscipipra vetula
The Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant (Muscipipra vetula) is a rare tyrant flycatcher found in 3 countries, weighing about 27 g. The shear-tailed grey tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers.
About the Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant
The shear-tailed grey tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The shear-tailed grey tyrant is about 20 to 22.5 cm (7.9 to 8.9 in) long. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a mostly dull dark gray head and upperparts. They have dusky ear coverts that form a mask. They have faint streaks on the crown and back. Their wings are dusky blackish. Their tail is long, slender, and deeply notched; it is mostly dusky blackish with pale whitish edges on the undersides of the outermost pair of feathers. They have a white chin and throat, a dark gray breast, and a pale gray belly. They have a blackish iris, a dusky bill, and dusky legs and feet. Voice: The shear-tailed grey tyrant is usually quiet. Its calls have been described as a "pup-pup-pup or a disyllabic whistle, jew-bewt". The second has also been rendered as a "low duh-djúp".
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Paraguay.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, 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 Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant?
- The shear-tailed grey tyrant is about 20 to 22.5 cm (7.9 to 8.9 in) long. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant?
- The Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant is a small sized bird weighing about 27 g.
- Where can you see a Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant?
- The Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant occurs in 3 countries, including Brazil and Argentina.
- What birds look similar to a Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant?
- The Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant is most easily confused with the Short-tailed Field Tyrant, the Pacific Elaenia and the Rufous-tailed Tyrant.
- Is the Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant endangered?
- The Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant for real
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