The cinnamon-bellied ground tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru and as a vagrant to Brazil.
Region
Southern Andes and Patagonian steppe
Typical Environment
Occurs in open windswept habitats including Patagonian steppe, puna grasslands, and sparsely vegetated rocky slopes. Breeds in southern Chile and Argentina, ranging north through the Andean spine into Bolivia and Peru, and appears as a vagrant eastward into Brazil. Uses coastal plains and open shrublands during movements. Often associated with stony flats, grass tussocks, and areas with scattered rocks for perching.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 4500 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The cinnamon-bellied ground tyrant is a terrestrial flycatcher that often forages by running on open ground and making short sallies after insects. It breeds in the southern Andes and Patagonian open country and shifts northward or to lower elevations outside the breeding season. Individuals are occasionally recorded as vagrants east of the Andes, including in Brazil. Its warm cinnamon underparts make it one of the more easily recognized ground-tyrants.
Temperament
alert and active on open ground
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct flights; occasional aerial sallies
Social Behavior
Often seen singly or in pairs during breeding, becoming more tolerant and loosely gregarious in open areas outside the breeding season. Nests are placed on or near the ground among rocks, banks, or vegetation clumps. Likely monogamous, with both parents participating in care. Territoriality is evident around nest sites.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are thin, high-pitched chips and short trills, not especially musical. Males give simple display phrases from rocks or during brief fluttering flight. Calls carry well in windy, open habitats.
Plumage
Upperparts gray-brown with slightly darker wings; underparts distinctly warm cinnamon to rufous on belly and lower breast, with paler throat and chest. Tail dark with contrasting pale or whitish outer edges. A subtle pale supercilium and dusky ear-coverts give a lightly masked look.
Diet
Feeds mainly on insects such as beetles, flies, ants, and larvae, and also takes spiders and other small invertebrates. Captures prey by running and picking from the ground, making short hops, or sallying a short distance to snatch flying insects. Will forage around dung and disturbed soil where insects concentrate. Diet varies seasonally with local invertebrate availability.
Preferred Environment
Open ground with sparse vegetation, stony flats, and grassy steppe are favored for visibility of prey. Often forages from low perches like rocks or fence posts, returning repeatedly to vantage points. Utilizes alpine meadows and puna during the breeding season and more open lowlands during movements.
