The white-browed ground tyrant is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, and as a vagrant to Colombia, Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands.
Region
Andes Mountains
Typical Environment
Occurs from Peru and Ecuador south through Bolivia and Chile into Argentina, with vagrants to Colombia, Uruguay, and the Falkland Islands. It favors open, windswept puna and high Andean grasslands with scattered rocks, scree, and bog margins. During the austral winter it often descends to lower elevations, including Patagonian steppe, coastal plains, and agricultural fields. Frequently uses rocks, fence posts, and low mounds as vantage points in otherwise treeless landscapes.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 4800 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The white-browed ground tyrant is a hardy Andean flycatcher that hunts insects from open ground and rocky perches. It breeds at high elevations and descends to lower plains during the austral winter, sometimes wandering far from its core range. Its bold white eyebrow is a key field mark among otherwise subtly colored ground tyrants.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low sallies from the ground
Social Behavior
Typically seen singly or in pairs during breeding, defending small open territories. Nests are placed on or near the ground, often in crevices, banks, or sheltered cavities among rocks. Outside the breeding season it may occur in loose, scattered groups where food is plentiful.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are modest: thin, high-pitched tseet calls and short trills delivered from a rock or low perch. Song is simple and subdued, often given during early morning or while performing short display flights.
Plumage
Subtly patterned with gray to brownish-gray upperparts and pale whitish underparts washed buff on the breast; wings darker with pale fringes. A clean white supercilium contrasts with a duskier ear patch and gray crown. Tail is dark with pale outer edges and is often flicked while foraging.
Diet
Primarily hunts insects such as flies, beetles, and moths, taken by quick dashes from the ground or low perches. It also picks small arthropods from soil, short grass, and rock surfaces. Occasional ingestion of seeds or berries may occur when insects are scarce.
Preferred Environment
Forages in open, sparsely vegetated ground—puna grasslands, stony flats, and bog edges. Uses rocks, tussocks, and fence posts as vantage points to scan for prey.
