Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Cinereous Tyrant
Knipolegus striaticeps
Cinereous Tyrant (Knipolegus striaticeps) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Cinereous Tyrant (Knipolegus striaticeps) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 11 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 striaticeps
Quick facts
- Weight
- 11 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Cinereous Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Cinereous Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Cinereous Tyrant (Knipolegus striaticeps) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA e Bolivia to c Argentina.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 11 g, with a wing length of about 5.7 cm and a tail of around 5.8 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 947,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Cinereous Tyrant?
The Cinereous Tyrant is a very small bird that weighs around 11 g.
Where does the Cinereous Tyrant live?
The Cinereous Tyrant is found across South America with a range covering SA e Bolivia to c Argentina, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Cinereous Tyrant belong to?
The Cinereous Tyrant (Knipolegus striaticeps) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Cinereous Tyrant eat?
The Cinereous Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Cinereous Tyrant migrate?
The Cinereous Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Cinereous 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 Cinereous Tyrant make?
1 real field recording of the Cinereous 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 Cinereous Tyrant's range?
The Cinereous Tyrant has a mapped global range of about 947,000 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.