Photo: Dario Sanches from São Paulo, Brazil / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Long-tailed Tyrant
Colonia colonus
Long-tailed Tyrant (Colonia colonus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Long-tailed Tyrant (Colonia colonus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 18.3 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 Colonia
- Species colonus
Where it lives
Southeastern Honduras to northeastern Argentina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.3 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Long-tailed Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Long-tailed Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Long-tailed Tyrant (Colonia colonus) is a member of the Tyrannidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA se Honduras to ne Argentina.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.3 g, with a wing length of about 8.1 cm and a tail of around 16 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 6.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Long-tailed Tyrant?
The Long-tailed Tyrant is a small bird that weighs around 18.3 g.
Where does the Long-tailed Tyrant live?
The Long-tailed Tyrant is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA se Honduras to ne Argentina, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Long-tailed Tyrant belong to?
The Long-tailed Tyrant (Colonia colonus) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Long-tailed Tyrant eat?
The Long-tailed Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Long-tailed Tyrant migrate?
The Long-tailed Tyrant is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Long-tailed 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 Long-tailed Tyrant make?
1 real field recording of the Long-tailed 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 Long-tailed Tyrant's range?
The Long-tailed Tyrant has a mapped global range of about 6.8 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
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A field guide to the Tyrannidae family — 444 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.