White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant Agriornis albicauda Scientific name definitions

Despite its expansive range, which stretches from Ecuador to northern Chile and Argentina, the White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant remains a rare and elusive species. It has two distinctive subspecies: one restricted to Ecuador, and one distributed from north-central Peru southward. In Ecuador, it is a specialist of queñoa forest edges (Polylepis spp.), as well as puna and páramo moist scrub. Further south, it occupies drier sites, often favoring shrubby and rocky slopes, occasionally associating with queñoa forests.

This species is found alongside the similar Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant (Agriornis montanus), but can be differentiated by its thicker and more "boat-shaped" bill, with a yellowish or horn-colored base to the mandible. Additionally, the White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant is larger, more pot-bellied, and stockier than its counterpart.

The White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant is a rather poorly known species, and more information is particularly needed regarding its breeding biology, demographics, and the factors that influence population sizes. Addressing these gaps in knowledge may be crucial for effective management and conservation of this low-density species, which seems to be in decline across its range.