Dark-faced Ground-tyrant
Encyclopedia
The Dark-faced Ground-tyrant (Muscisaxicola maclovianus) is a small passerine
bird
belonging to the tyrant flycatcher
family. It is a ground-dwelling bird of southern South America
which feeds on small invertebrate
s such as flies
and moth
s.
s, it has long legs and an upright posture. The plumage
is mainly dark grey-brown above and pale greyish below with a dark brown crown and a blackish face. The rump and tail are black with white outer tail-feathers. The legs and bill
are black. Birds on the Falkland Islands
(M. m. maclovianus) are larger and greyer than those in mainland South America (M. m. mentalis).
The song
is a weak twittering which may be uttered on the ground or in flight.
and Argentina
and on the Falkland Islands. It inhabits open areas from sea-level up to 1500 m in the Andes
. In the austral winter some birds migrate
north as far as Uruguay
, northern Argentina and Peru
. At this season it moves down to lowland areas and may visit farmland, gardens and beaches.
is placed among rocks and is made of grass and root fibres with a lining of wool or feathers. The two or three eggs
are white with red-brown spots. Two broods are probably raised during the breeding season.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
belonging to the tyrant flycatcher
Tyrant flycatcher
The tyrant flycatchers are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They are considered the largest family of birds on Earth, with more than 400 species. They are the most diverse avian family in every country in the Americas, except for the United States and...
family. It is a ground-dwelling bird of southern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
which feeds on small invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s such as flies
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
and moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s.
Description
It is 16 cm long with the male being slightly larger than the female. Like other ground-tyrantGround-tyrant
The ground-tyrants are a genus of passerine birds belonging to the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. There are about 13 different species. They are ground-dwelling birds which inhabit open country in South America, particularly the Andes and Patagonia. Several southern species are migratory,...
s, it has long legs and an upright posture. The plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
is mainly dark grey-brown above and pale greyish below with a dark brown crown and a blackish face. The rump and tail are black with white outer tail-feathers. The legs and bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
are black. Birds on the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
(M. m. maclovianus) are larger and greyer than those in mainland South America (M. m. mentalis).
The song
Bird song
Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs are distinguished by function from calls.-Definition:The distinction between songs and calls is based upon...
is a weak twittering which may be uttered on the ground or in flight.
Habitat and range
The species breeds in southern parts of ChileChile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and on the Falkland Islands. It inhabits open areas from sea-level up to 1500 m in the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. In the austral winter some birds migrate
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
north as far as Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, northern Argentina and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. At this season it moves down to lowland areas and may visit farmland, gardens and beaches.
Reproduction
The nestNest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
is placed among rocks and is made of grass and root fibres with a lining of wool or feathers. The two or three eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
are white with red-brown spots. Two broods are probably raised during the breeding season.
External links
- "Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant" videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- Photograph of a Dark-faced Ground-tyrant
- Stamps (for Falkland IslandsFalkland IslandsThe Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
) with RangeMap - "Dark-faced Ground-Tyrant" photo gallery VIREO