Drab Water Tyrant

About the Drab Water Tyrant

The drab water tyrant (Ochthornis littoralis) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. The drab water tyrant was originally described as Muscicapa littoralis and in 1868 von Pelzeln assigned it to genus Elainea (now spelled Elaenia). In 1888 Sclater erected genus Ochthornis for the species. In the 1970s one author suggested merging Ochthornis into genus Ochthoeca but this treatment did not gain acceptance.

The drab water tyrant is the only member of its genus and has no subspecies. The drab water tyrant is 13 to 13.5 cm (5.1 to 5.3 in) long and weighs about 13 g (0.46 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a dark sandy brown crown and a faint whitish supercilium on an otherwise medium sandy brown face. Their nape and back are medium sandy brown and their rump a paler sandy brown. Their wings and tail are dusky brown. Their underparts are a paler sandy brown than their back. They have a dark iris, a blackish bill, and blackish legs and feet.

The drab water tyrant is a bird of the western Amazon... Wikipedia →