Riverside Tyrant

Overview

The riverside tyrant (Knipolegus orenocensis) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is characterised by its disjunct distribution across South America and its preference for open, scrubby areas near riverbanks.

Identification

• Size: 15 to 15.5 cm long, weighing 18 to 21 g.
• Plumage: Adult males of the nominate subspecies are entirely slate gray to blackish gray with a slight crest; females are slightly paler with an olive tinge. Subspecies vary significantly, with K. o. sclateri males being darker black and females having sooty gray upperparts and whitish, heavily streaked underparts.
• Bill: Pale blue-gray with a black tip in the orenocensis and xinguensis subspecies, and a dusky tip in sclateri.
• Song: A series of musical notes terminating in a hiccup-like gravelly note, described as "pwip, pwip, pwip'PI'tjuk".

Habitat

The species inhabits somewhat open scrubby areas along rivers and especially on islands, favouring early stages of succession. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, ranging from near sea level to approximately 300 m in elevation.

Diet

The riverside tyrant is assumed to feed on insects and other invertebrates, though specific details are lacking. It usually forages singly or in pairs, often perching low in the open in the morning and taking prey by dropping to the ground or by hawking in mid-air.

Did you know?

Males of different subspecies perform distinct courtship displays, ranging from a vertical flight and return to the same perch in the nominate subspecies to jumping 180° in K. o. xinguensis and dropping from four metres in K. o. sclateri.