Cattle Tyrant Machetornis rixosa Scientific name definitions

The Cattle Tyrant is a resident of dry open savanna and pastureland. There are two major regions where this species occurs: in easternmost Panama and in northern South America Colombia and in Venezuela; and in central and eastern South America, from Bolivia south to Argentina and east to northeastern Brazil.  The Cattle Tyrant is a long legged and short winged flycatcher with brown upperparts, a gray crown, a thin dusky eye stripe, and yellow underparts.  Cattle Tyrants usually forage in pairs or small groups on the ground where they run rapidly with upright posture in pursuit of terrestrial insects.  As the name implies, Cattle Tyrants sometimes perch on the backs of cattle and horses, making quick sallies to the ground or in the air to catch insects flushed by the livestock. During the breeding season these flycatchers build a bulky ball-shaped nest of grass high above ground, or appropriate the large multi-chambered nest of the Rufous-fronted Thornbird (Phacellodomus rufifrons).

19·5 cm; 29–40 g (1 Contreras, J. R. (1979). Bird weights from northeastern Argentina. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 99(1):21–24. Close , 2 Alderete, C., and P. Capllonch (2010). El peso de aves en familias pertenecientes al orden Suboscines en la Argentina. Nótulas Faunísticas (Segunda Serie) 58:1–5. Close , 3 Salvador, S. A., and A. G. Di Giacomo (2014). Datos de pesos de aves argentinas. Parte 3. Historia Natural 4(2):63–88. Close ). Nominate race is primarily pale olive-brown or sandy brown to caramel-brown above; head mostly pale brownish, more greyish on crown, bright scarlet-orange coronal patch (usually concealed), thin dusky eyestripe, slight dusky brownish or yellowish tinge in ear-covert area; wings olive-brown; tail yellowish-cinnamon or olive-brown, pale dingy tips (broader and more contrasting from ventral perspective); throat whitish; underparts, including underwing-coverts, mostly bright yellow, breast tinged ochraceous olive; iris dark red; bill thin, black, very short or no obvious rictal bristles; legs dark. Differs from superficially similar Tyrannus species in shorter, more rounded wings and, especially, long legs. Sexes similar; female may have buff wash on throat and chest, and stated by some authors to lack coronal patch. Juvenile undescribed. Race <em>flavigularis</em> has throat more buffy yellow, perhaps less grey in crown than nominate, possibly also deeper yellow belly; <em>obscurodorsalis</em> is very like previous.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Drier semi-open to open habitats, including savanna, pastureland with scattered bushes and trees, agricultural areas, yards around houses, parks in urban areas, and occasionally sandy beaches; generally not found in woodland or forested areas. Primarily tropical lowland areas below 300 m, occasionally ranging to c. 1000 m; single vagrant observed at 3600 m in Venezuela (Mérida).

Mostly resident; some dispersal or local movements occur. Populations of nominate race in S part of range migratory; reports of vagrants in Ecuador and as far N as Panama (Darién).

Insects . Usually forages in pairs or small groups. Semi-terrestrial; runs rapidly on ground, with upright posture, sometimes for considerable distances, in pursuit of insects disturbed by domestic animals, much like a Muscisaxicola ground-tyrant. Often remains on the ground or perched on back of cattle, horse or capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris) for extended periods, occasionally making quick sallies to the ground or air after flushed insect prey; occasionally hawks from elevated perch. Perches on lower branches of trees, on top of low bushes or on houses.

Common call a brief series of thin, squeaky notes that rises in pitch, dawn song a short, repeated trilled whistle, “t’te’te’ree”, “tip-tip, tsi-tsip-tsilíp-tsilíp tsirrrr” or “swee see dee”, both much like typical vocalizations of Tyrannus melancholicus but said to be more strident. At dusk may also give more complicated and sustained series of squeaky “tic” notes and short trills that rise and fall in pitch.

Nest-building observed in Mar (Meta) and juveniles in Jul (lower R Sinú) in Colombia; season Jun–Oct (Guárico) and males in breeding condition in May (Bolívar and César Val) in Venezuela; nests in Oct–Jan in Argentina. Large, multi-chambered stick nest of Plain-fronted Thornbird (Phacellodomus rufifrons) appropriated, or builds own bulky ball-shaped grass nest well above ground; one nest in Argentina had external diameter 12 cm, height 7·5 cm, internal diameter 7 cm, depth 5 cm; shows some degree of aggression towards nesting associates and other species that approach nest. Clutch 3–4 eggs; in Argentina, incubation period 14·5 days, fledging 16 days. Parasitized by Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis).

Not globally threatened. Fairly common to common. Tolerant of converted habitat, and occurs in many national parks and other protected areas throughout its large range.