Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant (Agriornis montanus)

Order: Passeriformes | Family: Tyrannidae | IUCN Status: Least Concern

black-billed_shrike-tyrant
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Cajamarca

black-billed_shrike-tyrant
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Marcapomacocha, Lima

black-billed_shrike-tyrant
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Junin

black-billed_shrike-tyrant
Age: Adult (left) and Juvenile (right) | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Espinar, Cuzco | No data

Identification & Behavior: ~23 cm (9 in). The Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant has gray-brown upperparts and breast. The throat is whitish streaked with black. The belly is brownish. The bill is black. The iris is pale gray to whitish. It has a brown superciliary. The tail is largely white with only the central pair of tail feathers gray in color. It forages in dry Andean scrub and also enters urban areas. It is similar to the White-tailed Shrike-tyrant but is distinguished by a smaller size, black and relatively thinner bill, and pale iris.

Status: The Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant is common and widespread in the high Andes at elevations ranging between 3000-4500 m. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, Bo and Ch.

Name in Spanish: Arriero de Pico Negro.

Sub-species: Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant (Agriornis montanus insolens), P. L. Sclater and Salvin, 1869.

Meaning of Name: Agriornis: Gr. agrios= fierce and ornis,ornithos= bird. montanus: L. mons, montis= mountain, montanus= found on mountains, mountaineer.

See more of the Family Tyrannidae  peru aves

Distribution Map
black-billed shrike-tyrantVoice

References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 03/01/2017.