Long-tailed Tyrant - Colonia colonus

Long-tailed Tyrant Colonia colonus

Brazilian name: Viuvinha

Brazil

The Long-tailed Tyrant is found from Honduras to south-east Brazil but seems to be lacking from most of the central Amazon Basin.

It inhabits the canopy, borders and small clearings of humid forest and secondary woodland where its main requirement is some dead trees or exposed branches from which it can sally to catch flying insects. This makes it an easy bird to observe.

Its two principal features are the white forehead and crown on an otherwise mainly black body and the two, very elongated (up to 12 cms - 5") central tail feathers. It also has an inconspicuous white patch on the rump as can be seen in the second photo of a bird perched in the rain. They will often return to the same perch time and time again after catching an insect.

Long-tailed Tyrant, Parque de Zizo, São Paulo, Brazil, November 2006 - click for larger image

Unusually for a flycatcher, it builds its nest in a hole or cavity in a tree which is often a tight fit for a bird with such a long tail.

There are recordings on xeno-canto, a distribution map from NatureServe and additional information available via Avibase. There is also a page with excellent photos on Wikiaves.

Long-tailed Tyrant, Serra Bonita, Camacan, Bahia, Brazil, November 2008 - click for larger image

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