Photo: EvaldoResende / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Crested Black Tyrant
Knipolegus lophotes
Crested Black Tyrant (Knipolegus lophotes) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Crested Black Tyrant (Knipolegus lophotes) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 31.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Tyrannidae Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura
- Genus Knipolegus
- Species lophotes
Quick facts
- Weight
- 31.8 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Crested Black Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Crested Black Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Crested Black Tyrant (Knipolegus lophotes) is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA c, se Brazil to Uruguay.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 31.8 g, with a wing length of about 11.7 cm and a tail of around 9.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Crested Black Tyrant?
The Crested Black Tyrant is a small bird that weighs around 31.8 g.
Where does the Crested Black Tyrant live?
The Crested Black Tyrant is found across South America with a range covering SA c, se Brazil to Uruguay, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Crested Black Tyrant belong to?
The Crested Black Tyrant (Knipolegus lophotes) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Crested Black Tyrant eat?
The Crested Black Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Crested Black Tyrant migrate?
The Crested Black Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Crested Black Tyrant endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Crested Black Tyrant make?
1 real field recording of the Crested Black Tyrant — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Crested Black Tyrant's range?
The Crested Black Tyrant has a mapped global range of about 1.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Tyrannidae
A field guide to the Tyrannidae family — 444 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.