Photo: Carlos Henrique Luz Nunes de Almeida / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant
Muscipipra vetula
Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant (Muscipipra vetula) — 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 Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant (Muscipipra vetula) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 27 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 Muscipipra
- Species vetula
Quick facts
- Weight
- 27 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Shear-tailed Grey 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 Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant (Muscipipra vetula) is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across South America. Its distribution covers SA se Brazil to e Paraguay and ne Argentina.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 27 g, with a wing length of about 11.2 cm and a tail of around 11.2 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 828,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant?
The Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant is a small bird that weighs around 27 g.
Where does the Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant live?
The Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant is found across South America with a range covering SA se Brazil to e Paraguay and ne Argentina, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant belong to?
The Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant (Muscipipra vetula) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant eat?
The Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant migrate?
The Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Shear-tailed Grey 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 Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant make?
1 real field recording of the Shear-tailed Grey 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 Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant's range?
The Shear-tailed Grey Tyrant has a mapped global range of about 828,000 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.