Photo: Carlos Henrique Luz Nunes de Almeida / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-backed Water Tyrant
Fluvicola albiventer
Black-backed Water Tyrant (Fluvicola albiventer) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 6 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-backed Water Tyrant (Fluvicola albiventer) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 11.6 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 Fluvicola
- Species albiventer
Quick facts
- Weight
- 11.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-backed Water Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Black-backed Water Tyrant is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Black-backed Water Tyrant (Fluvicola albiventer) belongs to the Tyrannidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA c, e, se.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11.6 g, with a wing length of about 6.9 cm and a tail of around 5.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 5.6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-backed Water Tyrant?
The Black-backed Water Tyrant is a very small bird that weighs around 11.6 g.
Where does the Black-backed Water Tyrant live?
The Black-backed Water Tyrant is found across South America with a range covering SA c, e, se, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Black-backed Water Tyrant belong to?
The Black-backed Water Tyrant (Fluvicola albiventer) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-backed Water Tyrant eat?
The Black-backed Water Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-backed Water Tyrant migrate?
The Black-backed Water Tyrant is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Black-backed Water 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 Black-backed Water Tyrant make?
1 real field recording of the Black-backed Water Tyrant — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-backed Water Tyrant's range?
The Black-backed Water Tyrant has a mapped global range of about 5.6 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.