Wikipedia Source Page

Summary

The red-rumped bush tyrant (Cnemarchus erythropygius) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Taxonomy and systematics

The red-rumped bush tyrant was formally described in 1853 as Taenioptera erythropygia. In 1905 Robert Ridgway erected genus Cnemarchus and transferred erythropygia to it as the type specimen. It was necessary to change the specific epithet's ending to match the masculine gender of the new genus. In the 1970s some authors moved it to genus Myiotheretes; Ridgway had noted the similarity of his new Cnemarchus to that genus. A 1988 paper gave evidence that the species belonged to Cnemarchus and a 2009 study confirmed it.

The red-rumped bush tyrant shares genus Cnemarchus with the rufous-webbed bush tyrant (C. rufipennis). It has two subspecies, the nominate C. e. erythropygius (Sclater, PL, 1853) and C. e. orinomus (Wetmore, 1946).

Description

The red-rumped bush tyrant is 20 to 23 cm (7.9 to 9.1 in) long. One female weighed 50 g (1.8 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a white forecrown that becomes a hoary gray crown. Their back is dark gray brown and their rump is rufous. Their wings are dark gray brown with much white on the tertials that shows as a conspicuous patch in flight. Their central tail feathers are blackish and the rest are rufous with blackish end quarters. Their chin and throat are white with thin dusky streaks. Their breast is gray that becomes rufous on the belly and undertail coverts. Subspecies C. e. orinomus has a grayer back than the nominate with a brown rump. Their tail feathers have less black on the tips and their belly is paler than the nominate's. Both subspecies have a brown iris, a black bill, and black legs and feet.

Distribution and habitat

The red-rumped bush tyrant has a disjunct distribution, mostly in the Andes. The nominate subspecies is found from Nariño Department in southwestern Colombia south through...