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 - Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant
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Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola maculirostris Scientific name definitions

Andrew Farnsworth and Gary Langham
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 1, 2004

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Introduction

This is one of the smaller ground-tyrants, and of the species found in the Andes it is indeed the smallest. In several ways it is different from other Andean or Southern Cone ground-tyrants. Other than its smaller size, it is a tad more compact with perhaps a shorter tail than in other species. It also has relatively well marked wingbars, lacking in other ground-tyrants and a stronger eyeline and more obvious supercilium than in most ground-tyrants. The small size, wing bars and general coloration suggest a close relationship with the Little Ground-Tyrant (Muscisaxicola fluviatilis) although molecular data does not bear this out. Also unusual for a ground-tyrant is that it has a noticeable and relatively complex flight song. Most ground-tyrants give simple one note chips when doing aerial displays, while the Spot-billed gives a series of accelerating chips that crescendo: tp-tp-tp-tp-tp-tpPRTRRPPPP. Spot-billed Ground-Tyrants have an amazingly large latitudinal distribution from Colombia to southernmost Patagonia. They are not always restricted to the Andes and can be found at or near sea level particularly in the non-breeding season in Chile. Their preferred habitat is open country, usually slopes, which have open grassland with a few shrubs, and rocky areas.

Subspecies


SUBSPECIES

Muscisaxicola maculirostris niceforoi Scientific name definitions

Distribution

N part of E Andes of Colombia (Boyacá, Cundinamarca).

SUBSPECIES

Muscisaxicola maculirostris rufescens Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Ecuador (Pichincha S to Chimborazo).

SUBSPECIES

Muscisaxicola maculirostris maculirostris Scientific name definitions

Distribution

Peru (S from Cajamarca), Bolivia, Chile (S to Magallanes) and W Argentina (Jujuy S to Santa Cruz); S populations migrate N.
Distribution of the Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant - Range Map
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  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant

Recommended Citation

Farnsworth, A. and G. Langham (2020). Spot-billed Ground-Tyrant (Muscisaxicola maculirostris), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.sbgtyr1.01
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