Lesser Shrike-Tyrant

The small hook tyrant ( Agriornis murinus ) or sometimes mouse tyrant is a species of bird in the family of hooks tyrants ( Agriornis ). This species has a large distribution area, which is limited to the countries of Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The stock is assessed by the IUCN as endangered not (Least Concern ).

Features

The small hook tyrant reaches a body length of about 17.5 inches and has a hack -shaped beak. The top is light smoke gray. The tips of the elytra, the edges of the inner primaries, the outer webs of the outer tail feathers and restricted the tail tips are grayish white. To this end, they have a white eye ring and eye stripe, with the reins is mottled black and white. The white to off-white throat is crossed by dark stripes. The gray -brown to gray brown yellow chest turns into a brown yellowish white on the belly. The flanks are tawny pink. In flight, the tail looks black.

Distribution and habitat

They move mainly in dry bushland with scattered trees at altitudes between 100 and 2000 meters. There are populations in northwestern Argentina, which are spread over the provinces of Catamarca, Tucumán and La Rioja. Other deposits are found in south-central Argentina, in the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, the southwest of Buenos Aires to the south of Santa Cruz. In winter, they migrate to Bolivia to the Cochabamba Department and rarely up to Gran Chaco in western Paraguay. According to Decree N ° 514/ 001 of the Uruguayan Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and fish farming " they occur in Uruguay Fauna Reserve Silvestre.

Behavior

It is not much known about the behavior of the bird. Are they moving too the floor, then they run relatively quickly. Otherwise, she likes to sit on the bushes. During chases they give sharp squeaky noises. In the breeding season in Tucumán in December relatively large eggs were discovered.

Etymology

In the first description D' Orbigny and Lafresnaye set the style in the genus Pepoaza. For a long time they were brought to be in the genus of the nuns tyrants ( Xolmis ) before it was finally arranged in the genus Agriornis. The genus name is derived from the Latin ager for arable and ancient Greek όρνις ( ornis ) for birds. The specific epithet means murinus mouse gray, which is why you also find the trivial names Mouse - brown shrike - tyrant in English literature alongside Lesser Shrike - tyrant.