{{short description|Genus of birds}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = Ground tyrants | image = Perched Spot-billed Ground-tyrant (Muscisaxicola maculirostris) side view.jpg | image_caption = Spot-billed ground tyrant (''Muscisaxicola maculirostris'') | taxon = Muscisaxicola | authority = d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837 | type_species = ''Muscisaxicola rufivertex''<ref name=HM4>{{cite web |url= https://www.aviansystematics.org/4th-edition-checklist?viewfamilies=107 |title= Tyrannidae |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= aviansystematics.org |publisher= The Trust for Avian Systematics |access-date= 2023-07-16}}</ref> | type_species_authority = d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837 }}
The '''ground tyrants''' ('''''Muscisaxicola''''') are a genus of passerine birds belonging to the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. There are about 13 different species. They are ground-dwelling birds which inhabit open country in South America, particularly the Andes and Patagonia. Several southern species are migratory, moving northward for the winter. Ground tyrants feed on insects and other invertebrates, mainly by picking them from the ground.
A flight display is performed during the breeding season. The nest is a cup of twigs or grass which, in most species, is built in a burrow, crevice or under rocks.
Ground tyrants are fairly small (13–20 cm in length) with longish legs, a slender bill and an erect posture. The plumage is dull and mainly grey or brown with paler underparts. The head is variably patterned with several species having rufous patches on the crown or white between the bill and eye. The birds have simple calls and are often silent.
==Taxonomy== The genus ''Muscisaxicola'' was introduced in 1837 by the French naturalists Alcide d'Orbigny and Frédéric de Lafresnaye. They listed several species in their new genus but did not specify a type species.<ref>{{ cite journal | last1=d'Orbigny | first1=Alcide | author1-link=Alcide d'Orbigny | last2=Lafresnaye | first2=Frédéric de | author2-link=Frédéric de Lafresnaye | year=1837 | title=Synopsis avium | language=Latin | journal=Magasin de Zoologie | volume=7 | issue=2 | pages=1–88 [65] | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37087510 }}</ref> In 1840 the English zoologist George Gray selected ''Muscisaxicola rufivertex'' Orbigny & Lafresnaye, the rufous-naped ground tyrant, as the type.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Gray | first=George Robert | author-link=George Robert Gray | year=1840 | title=A List of the Genera of Birds : with an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus | location=London | publisher=R. and J.E. Taylor | page=24 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/13668918 }}</ref><ref>{{ cite book | editor-last=Traylor | editor-first=Melvin A. Jr | author-link=Melvin Alvah Traylor Jr. | year=1979 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=8 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=168 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14500945 }}</ref> The genus name is a portmanteau of the genera ''Muscicapa'' and ''Saxicola''.<ref>{{ cite web | last=Jobling | first=James A. | title=Muscisaxicola | work=The Key to Scientific Names | url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/key-to-scientific-names/search?q=Muscisaxicola | publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology | access-date=4 September 2025 }}</ref>
A molecular phylogenetic study of the suboscines published in 2020 found that the yellow-browed tyrant in the monotypic genus ''Satrapa'' was sister to the species in the genus ''Muscisaxicola''.<ref name=harvey>{{Cite journal | last1=Harvey | first1=M.G. | display-authors=etal | date=2020 | title=The evolution of a tropical biodiversity hotspot | journal=Science | volume=370 | issue=6522 | pages=1343-1348 | doi=10.1126/science.aaz6970 | hdl=10138/329703 | hdl-access=free }} A high resolution version of the phylogenetic tree in Figure 1 is available from the first author's website [http://www.harveybirdlab.org/docs/Harveyetal2020_Fig1_tree_HiRes.pdf here].</ref>
A study of mitochondrial DNA by Terry Chesser published in 2000 found that the little ground tyrant (''M. fluviatilis'') is highly divergent and not closely related to the other ground tyrants. All the remaining species are related and form a monophyletic group, although the spot-billed ground tyrant (''M. maculirostris'') is somewhat divergent from the others. The little and spot-billed ground tyrants are smaller and browner than the other species and the little ground tyrant also differs in its habitat, occurring near rivers in the Amazon rainforest.<ref name = Chesser/>
The paramo ground tyrant (''M. alpinus'') and Taczanowski's ground tyrant (''M. griseus'') were previously treated as a single species but are genetically divergent with the paramo ground tyrant belonging to a southern Andean and Patagonian clade within the genus and Taczanowski's ground tyrant belonging to a central Andean clade.<ref name = Chesser/> The name plain-capped ground tyrant is used by some authors to refer to ''M. griseus'' with paramo ground tyrant used for ''M. alpinus''.
The genus name ''Muscisaxicola'' is masculine, therefore the species names ''griseus'', ''cinereus'', ''maclovianus'', ''alpinus'' and ''capistratus'' are correct rather than ''grisea'', ''cinerea'', ''macloviana'', ''alpina'' and ''capistrata''. The names ''flavinucha'' and ''albilora'' are invariable.<ref name = SACC/>
===Species list=== The genus contains 12 species:<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela C. Rasmussen | date=July 2021 | title=Tyrant flycatchers | work=IOC World Bird List Version 11.2 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/flycatchers/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | accessdate=25 July 2021 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" |- ! Image !! Scientific name !! Common name !! Distribution |- | - ||Spot-billed ground tyrant|| ''Muscisaxicola maculirostris''|| Andes |- | - ||White-fronted ground tyrant|| ''Muscisaxicola albifrons''|| Puna grassland |- |125px ||Ochre-naped ground tyrant|| ''Muscisaxicola flavinucha''|| southern Andes ; winters to northern Peru |- |125px ||Paramo ground tyrant|| ''Muscisaxicola alpinus''|| Andes of Colombia and Ecuador |- |125px ||Taczanowski's ground tyrant|| ''Muscisaxicola griseus''|| Puna grassland |- |125px ||Cinereous ground tyrant|| ''Muscisaxicola cinereus''|| Puna grassland |- |125px ||Rufous-naped ground tyrant|| ''Muscisaxicola rufivertex''|| Puna grassland,<br/>southern Andes and Sierras Pampeanas |- |125px ||Dark-faced ground tyrant|| ''Muscisaxicola maclovianus''|| southern Andes ;<br/>winters to coastal Peru and throughout southern cone |- |125px ||White-browed ground tyrant|| ''Muscisaxicola albilora''|| southern Andes ; winters north to Ecuador |- |125px ||Cinnamon-bellied ground tyrant|| ''Muscisaxicola capistratus''|| southern Patagonia ;<br/>winters north to southeastern Peru |- |125px ||Puna ground tyrant|| ''Muscisaxicola juninensis''|| Puna grassland |- |125px ||Black-fronted ground tyrant|| ''Muscisaxicola frontalis''|| southern Andes ;<br/>winters in Puna grassland |- |}
The little ground tyrant was formerly placed in ''Muscisaxicola'' but was moved to the monotypic genus ''Syrtidicola'' following the publication of a phylogenetic study in 2020.<ref name=ioc/><ref>{{Cite journal | last1=Chesser | first1=R.T. | last2=Harvey | first2=M.H. | last3=Brumfield | first3=R.T. | last4=Derryberry | first4=E.P. | date=2020 | title=A revised classification of the Xolmiini (Aves: Tyrannidae: Fluvicolinae), including a new genus for ''Muscisaxicola fluviatilis'' | journal=Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington | volume=133 | issue=1 | pages=35–48 | doi=10.2988/20-00005 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name = Chesser>{{cite journal|author=Chesser, R. Terry|year=2000|url=http://www.nmnh.si.edu/vert/birds/pdf/rtc4.pdf|title=Evolution in the High Andes: the Phylogenetics of ''Muscisaxicola'' Ground-Tyrants|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=15|issue=3|pages=369–380|pmid=10860646|doi=10.1006/mpev.1999.0774|bibcode=2000MolPE..15..369C |citeseerx=10.1.1.533.7935|access-date=2007-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609175732/http://www.nmnh.si.edu/vert/birds/pdf/rtc4.pdf|archive-date=2007-06-09|url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name=SACC>South American Classification Committee (2007) ''[http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~remsen/SACCBaseline06.html A classification of the bird species of South America, part 8] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625182022/http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~remsen/SACCBaseline06.html |date=2007-06-25 }}''. citing {{cite journal|author=David N. & Gosselin M. |year=2002|title= The grammatical gender of avian genera|journal=Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club|volume=122|pages= 257–282}}</ref> }}
===Further reading=== *Jaramillo, Alvaro; Burke, Peter & Beadle, David (2003) ''Field Guide to the Birds of Chile'', Christopher Helm, London *Vuilleumier, François (1994) [https://sora.unm.edu/node/119193 Nesting, behavior, distribution and speciation of Patagonian and Andean ground tyrants (''Myiotheretes'', ''Xolmis'', ''Neoxolmis'', ''Agriornis'' and ''Muscisaxicola'')], ''Ornitologia Neotropical'', 5: 1–55
==External links== Video, spottings and photos on Birds of the world. {{div col|colwidth=22em}} *''Muscisaxicola albifrons''—[https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/wfgtyr1/cur/introduction Videos and Photos] *''Muscisaxicola albilora''—[https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/wbgtyr1/cur/introduction Videos and Photos] *''Muscisaxicola alpinus''—[https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/plcgrt1/cur/introduction Videos and Photos] *''Muscisaxicola capistratus''—[https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/cibgrt1/cur/introduction Videos and Photos] *''Muscisaxicola cinereus''—[https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/cingrt1/cur/introduction Videos and Photos] *''Muscisaxicola flavinucha''—[https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/ongtyr1/cur/introduction Videos and Photos] *''Muscisaxicola frontalis''—[https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/bfgtyr1/cur/introduction Videos and Photos] *''Muscisaxicola griseus''—[https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/tacgrt1/cur/introduction Videos and Photos] *''Muscisaxicola juninensis''—[https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/pugtyr1/cur/introduction Videos and Photos] *''Muscisaxicola maclovianus''—[https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/dafgrt1/cur/introduction Videos and Photos] *''Muscisaxicola maculirostris''— [https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/sbgtyr1/cur/introduction Videos and Photos] *''Muscisaxicola rufivertex''—[https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/rngtyr1/cur/introduction Videos and Photos] {{div col end}}
{{Passeriformes|T.|state=collapsed}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q1059499}}
Category:Birds of the Andes Category:Birds of South America