Xolmis irupero
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The white monjita (Xolmis irupero) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The white monjita was formally described in 1823 as Tyrannus irupero. It was eventually transferred to genus Xolmis that had been erected in 1826.
According to the IOC, the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society (SACC), and the Clements taxonomy, the white monjita shares genus Xolmis with only the white-rumped monjita (X. velatus). However, as of December 2024 BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World includes six other species in addition to the white and white-rumped monjitas.
The white monjita is 17 to 18 cm (6.7 to 7.1 in) long and weighs 21 to 29.5 g (0.74 to 1.0 oz). Adult males of the nominate subspecies are almost entirely white. They have black primaries, primary coverts, and tail tip. Females are almost identical but have a gray tinge on their back. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | El Palmar National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | El Impenetrable National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asuncion | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | |
| 2 | Cordoba | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Rosario | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 4 | Porto Alegre | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Montevideo | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | |
| 6 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White Monjita sighting in Cordoba on a given day, based on 138 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 79th most-seen of the 176 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a White Monjita in Cordoba on a given day, against under 5% in September to March, the lowest months. Those are among Cordoba's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain a month against 130 mm in February.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White Monjita sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate White Monjita sightings, Cordoba ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Asuncion (Paraguay, about 20%).
Same family: Tyrannidae
The closest relatives of the White Monjita that you can see in Cordoba (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Great Kiskadee (about 90%), Cattle Tyrant (about 30%) and Straneck's Tyrannulet (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White Monjita is recorded against all the birds logged in Cordoba (138 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
