Rufous-tailed Tyrant

Rufous-tailed Tyrant

Knipolegus poecilurus

Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Podocarpus National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

66 Verified sightings at Podocarpus National Park From 2019 to 2026
85 In all 2 parks
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Rufous-tailed Tyrant

The rufous-tailed tyrant (Knipolegus poecilurus) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. The rufous-tailed tyrant was formally described in 1862 as Empidochanes poecilurus. Later authors placed it genera Cnemotriccus and by itself in Eumyiobius. A 1937 publication placed it in its current genus Knipolegus.

The rufous-tailed tyrant has these five subspecies: However, each subspecies is as variable as the species as a whole and there are no significant genetic differences among them. The rufous-tailed tyrant is 14.5 to 15 cm (5.7 to 5.9 in) long and weighs 13 to 15 g (0.46 to 0.53 oz). Adult males of the nominate subspecies K. p. poecilurus have a mostly grayish to brownish gray head and upperparts with a whitish throat. Their wings are dusky with buff edges on the inner remiges and buffy-gray tips on the coverts that... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Song1:08

Ecuador · 2018

© Hans Matheve · XC512801 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Call0:40

Peru · 2012

© Andrew Spencer · XC116692 · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Flight song0:32

Ecuador · 2002

© Lelis Navarrete · XC364211 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
2 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Rufous-tailed Tyrant in Podocarpus National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-tailed Tyrant sighting in Podocarpus National Park on a given day, based on 66 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 201st most-seen of the 446 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.

When is the best time to see a Rufous-tailed Tyrant in Podocarpus National Park?

March–May and July–October

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rufous-tailed Tyrant in Podocarpus National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June and November–February, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Rufous-tailed Tyrant?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rufous-tailed Tyrant sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Podocarpus National Park the best place to see a Rufous-tailed Tyrant?

Yes

Of the 2 parks where we can rate Rufous-tailed Tyrant sightings, Podocarpus National Park has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (Colombia, under 5%).

Which relatives of the Rufous-tailed Tyrant live in Podocarpus National Park?

Same family: Tyrannidae

The closest relatives of the Rufous-tailed Tyrant that you can see in Podocarpus National Park (family Tyrannidae, Tyrant Flycatchers) are Cinnamon Flycatcher (about 30%), Tropical Kingbird (about 20%) and White-banded Tyrannulet (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Rufous-tailed Tyrant sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Rufous-tailed Tyrant is recorded against all the birds logged in Podocarpus National Park (66 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.

← Back to Podocarpus National Park