Cattle tyrant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cattle tyrant |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Machetornis
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| Species: |
rixosa
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| Synonyms | |
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Machetornis rixosus (Vieillot, 1819) |
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The cattle tyrant (Machetornis rixosa) is a type of bird in the tyrant-flycatcher family. In Brazil, people call it suiriri-cavaleiro. It is the only bird in its special group, called a genus, named Machetornis.
The name Machetornis comes from old Greek words. Makhētēs means "fighter" and ornis means "bird". This name was chosen because the bird is known for being a bit feisty. It sometimes even takes nests from other birds! The second part of its scientific name, rixosa, is from Latin and also means "quarrelsome". This again points to its bold personality.
Contents
Where Do Cattle Tyrants Live?
Cattle tyrants live in different parts of South and Central America. You can find them from Panama down to Argentina. They like dry, open areas. This includes grasslands, farms, and even gardens. They usually stay away from thick forests.
Because people have cut down many trees, these birds have moved into new places. For example, they now live in northeast Ecuador. They like these new open spaces.
What Do Cattle Tyrants Look Like?
The cattle tyrant is a medium-sized bird. It is about 20 cm (8 in) long. It usually weighs between 29 and 40 grams. This is about the same as a few pieces of candy.
Most of its body is olive-brown on top. Its belly is bright yellow. Its head is grey, and it has a thin white stripe near its eye. Its throat is white. The bird has a thin black beak and black legs. Some cattle tyrants have a yellow throat instead of a white one.
How Do Cattle Tyrants Behave?
Cattle tyrants mostly eat insects. They find most of their food on the ground. These birds are very clever hunters. They often follow large animals like cattle. As the big animals walk, they scare up insects. The cattle tyrant then quickly flies out to catch them.
Sometimes, a cattle tyrant will even ride on the back of a cow or a capybara! From there, it can easily spot and catch insects that fly away. They might also hunt for insects from a high branch.
Cattle tyrants build their own nests, which can be quite big. But sometimes, they are a bit lazy. They might just take over a nest built by another bird, like a rufous-fronted thornbird. The female bird lays 3 to 4 eggs. The eggs hatch after about 14 days. The baby birds are ready to fly away from the nest after about 15 days.
Images for kids
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