It inhabits Paraguay, Uruguay, and the eastern portion of the Argentine Republic, ranging as far south as the pampas in the neighbourhood of Patagonia. It is usually seen singly or in pairs; Azara says he saw a flock of thirty individuals, but as they were all females, it may be that in this species, as in Lichenops perspicillata, the females are sometimes gregarious, and the males always solitary. It frequents open places, such as the borders of marshes, or plains covered with tall grasses, and perches in a conspicuous place, from which it darts at passing insects like a Flycatcher.
Mr. Gibson found its nest on the ground amongst herbage, and describes it as a neat structure of dried grass, containing three white eggs with a faint cream-coloured tinge.
[124.] CYBERNETES YETAPA (Vieill.).
(YETAPA TYRANT.)
Cybernetes yetapa, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 43; White, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 604 (Itapua, Misiones).
Description.—Above hoary grey, with lineiform blackish shaft-stripes; wings black, with large chestnut-brown patch occupying the outer webs of the inner primaries; tail of twelve much graduated feathers, black; outer web of external rectrices white; beneath same as above, but rather paler; throat and crissum white; patch on each side of the neck, and collar across the neck dark chestnut-brown; under wing-coverts and inner webs of wing-feathers white; bill pale brown; feet black: whole length 16·0 inches, wing 5·0; tail, extreme rectrix 12·5, middle 2·6. Female similar, but less bright.
Hab. S.E. Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Northern Argentina.
Azara found this singular species not uncommon in Paraguay, and since his brief notice of it in the ‘Apuntamientos’ nothing concerning its habits has been recorded. It has a somewhat laboured flight, he says; lives in pairs or families, frequenting low or marshy grounds, where it perches on the summit of the reeds or bushes, and flies down to the ground to capture insects. It also occasionally dashes after passing insects, taking them on the wing. It has a loud whistle, which it utters frequently without any variation.