Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant Muscisaxicola alpinus Scientific name definitions

The Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant is a drab, terrestrial flycatcher of montane western South America.  Found in the Andes from central Colombia south to Bolivia, this species inhabits high elevation grasslands from 3300 to 4700 meters in elevation.  It is medium gray above with a white superciliary and pale gray underparts.  The Plain-capped Ground-Tyrant stands upright on the ground in between sallies to hunt insects in its paramo and puna grassland habitat.  During the breeding season it is rather solitary, but when not breeding it may gather in small flocks.

18–19 cm. Has long and broad white supercilium extending beyond eye, small white area below eye; lores dusky; greyish-brown above, crown tinged sepia-brown; wings duskier, some pale edging on wing-coverts; tail blackish, outer rectrix narrowly edged white; greyish-white below, whiter on throat and belly; iris dark brown; bill somewhat short and thin, black; legs black. Differs from M. cinereus mainly in larger size, darker and browner upperparts, whitish supercilium extending slightly beyond eye. Sexes alike. Juvenile has wing-coverts and inner remiges narrowly tipped and edged cinnamon, belly and vent tinged buff, whitish streaking below, feathers of crown and back with faint darker tips. Race columbianus is nearly inseparable from nominate, but slightly darker on back (closer to crown colour), greyer on belly; quesadae may average slightly smaller.

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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.

Arid montane scrub, puna and páramo grasslands, often where rocky; also, stands of Espeletia or areas of low vegetation from tree-line up to snow-line. Mainly 3300–4700 m, occasionally down to 800 m.

Resident.

Insects. Feeds on ground , making run or hops, often suddenly stopping, and standing erect; sometimes sallies to ground from low perch; often flicks tail. Sometimes takes slightly elevated perch, e.g. on rock or wall. Usually solitary; in non-breeding season regularly in loose flocks of up to 30 individuals, occasionally in association with other ground-tyrants or other puna-zone birds.

Generally silent; weak plaintive note (Colombia), also occasional soft “tik” note.

Sept–Dec in Colombia (Boyacá) and at least Aug–Oct in Ecuador. Displaying male repeatedly hovers, stalls and drops. Nest a sparsely lined grass and root mass, placed in hole or crevice under rock. Clutch 4 eggs. Eggs white with cinnamon flecking heaviest at the larger end; two measured 27·6 mm × 18·8 mm and 27·1 mm × 18·7 mm (4 Greeney, H. F., P. R. Martin, R. A. Gelis, A. Solano-Ugalde, F. Bonier, B. Freeman, and E. T. Miller (2011) Notes on the breeding of high-Andean birds in northern Ecuador. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 131: 24–31. Close ). No other information.

Not globally threatened. Locally fairly common to common. Especially numerous at higher elevations in Cotopaxi National Park, in Ecuador. Rather uncommon in Colombia. Occurs in Puracé National Park, in Colombia, and Las Cajas National Recreation Area, in Ecuador.