English               -               Cattle Tyrant

Portugueses      -               Suiriri-cavaleiro

Latin                   -               Machetornis rixosa

The Cattle Tyrant is a species of bird in the tyrant-flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is the only member of the genus Machetornis. The relationships of this species and other species in the tyrant flycatcher family is uncertain.              

In colour the Cattle Tyrants resemble many other species in the Tyrannidae family. Cattle Tyrants are a long legged and short winged flycatcher with brown upper-parts, a grey crown, a thin dusky eye stripe, with yellow underparts. They are about 20 cm in length and weigh up to 40 grams.       

The Cattle Tyrant has a disjunct distribution. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are drier open and semi-open habitats, savannah, pastureland, parkland, agricultural land and even gardens. They avoided forested and wooded areas.

Cattle Tyrants are Insectivore and usually forages in pairs or in small groups. They are semi-terrestrial, they run rapidly along the ground with an upright posture chasing prey. They feed on insects, mostly from the ground. They may follow cattle or other large animals, catching flushed up prey, or even hitch rides on these animals, and then snatching flushed up prey with a quick sally-flight. The Cattle Tyrant can also be seen hunting biting horseflies attempting to land on capybaras.

During the breeding season Cattle Tyrants build a bulky spherical nest of grass high off the ground, or, they have been known to steal the nests from other birds. The female lays 3 to 4 eggs and incubated them for 14 days. The chicks fledge after 15 days.   

Cattle Tyrants are not globally threatened and are “Fairly common to common”. They can easily adapt to converted habitat. Due to deforestation, the Cattle Tyrant has recently colonised areas where it was previously absent, such as northeast Ecuador.  They are classed as a species of “least concern”.

Photo No. 1 was taken at Praia da Costa - Vila Velha - Espirito Santo

Photo No. 2 was taken at Foz do Iguacu - Parana               

Photo No.3 was taken at Parque Barigui  - Curitiba - Parana and shows 2 Cattle Tyrants feeding on the back of a Capybara.