Velvety Black-Tyrant
Knipolegus nigerrimus
Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
- GenusKnipolegus (Black-Tyrants)
- SpeciesKnipolegus nigerrimus (Velvety Black-Tyrant)
About the Velvety Black-Tyrant
The velvety black tyrant (Knipolegus nigerrimus) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is endemic to Brazil. The velvety black tyrant was formally described in 1818 as Muscicapa nigerrima, placing it in the Old World flycatcher family. It was later transferred to genus Knipolegus, which was erected in 1826 with the blue-billed black tyrant (K. cyanirostris) as the type species.
The velvety black tyrant's taxonomy is unsettled. The IOC and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World assign it two subspecies, the nominate M. n. nigerrimus (Vieillot, 1818) and M. n. hoflingae (Frederico Lencioni-Neto, 1996). The Clements taxonomy does not recognize hoflingae, treating the species as monotypic.
This article follows the two-subspecies model. The velvety black tyrant is 17.5 to 18 cm (6.9 to 7.1 in) long. Adult males of the nominate subspecies are almost entirely glossy blue-black and have a small bushy crest. Their primaries have white bases that are conspicuous in flight but usually not visible at rest. Adult females are also mostly glossy blue-black. They do not have a crest but have a... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Velvety Black-Tyrant in Itatiaia National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Itatiaia National Park
Blue-billed Black-Tyrant
Knipolegus cyanirostris
Crested Black-Tyrant
Knipolegus lophotes
Cliff Flycatcher
Hirundinea ferruginea
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Planalto Tyrannulet
Phyllomyias fasciatus
Masked Water-Tyrant
Fluvicola nengeta
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Long-tailed Tyrant
Colonia colonus
Gray-headed Tody-Flycatcher
Todirostrum poliocephalum
Yellow-olive Flycatcher
Tolmomyias sulphurescens
Short-crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus ferox
Gray-capped Tyrannulet
Phyllomyias griseocapilla
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | Chapada Diamantina National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Serra da Canastra National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Serra dos Órgãos National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 5 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Velvety Black-Tyrant in Itatiaia National Park?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Velvety Black-Tyrant sighting in Itatiaia National Park, based on 718 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Velvety Black-Tyrant in Itatiaia National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Velvety Black-Tyrant in Itatiaia National Park in our monthly data.