Rufous-tailed Attila

About the Rufous-tailed Attila

The rufous-tailed attila (Attila phoenicurus) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, possibly Bolivia, and as a vagrant to Venezuela. From early in the twentieth century until the 1970s many authors classified genus Attila in family Cotingidae; after that it was recognized as belonging to family Tyrannidae. For a time in the mid-1900s some authors placed the rufous-tailed attila in its own genus Pseudattila; by the 1980s it had been returned to genus Attila.

A molecular genetic study published in 2020 found that the rufous-tailed attila is sister to the cinnamon attila (Attila cinnamomeus). The rufous-tailed attila is monotypic. The rufous-tailed attila is about 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs about 32 to 34.5 g (1.1 to 1.2 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults have a dark gray crown, face, and nape. Their upperparts are mostly deep rufous with slightly paler uppertail coverts and tail. Their wings are mostly deep rufous with blackish primaries. They have a small whitish area just below the bill. Their throat and underparts are mostly cinnamon-rufous with... Wikipedia →