Rufous-naped Ground Tyrant

The rufous-naped ground tyrant (Muscisaxicola rufivertex) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. == Taxonomy and systematics == As of April 2025 the rufous-naped ground tyrant's taxonomy is unsettled. The IOC assigns it these four subspecies: M. r. occipitalis Ridgway, 1887 M. r. pallidiceps Hellmayr, 1927 M. r. achalensis Nores & Yzurieta, 1983 M. r. rufivertex d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837 The Clements taxonomy does not recognize M. r. achalensis. It annotates M. r. occipitalis as the "chestnut-naped", M. r. pallidiceps as the "pallidiceps", and M. r. rufivertex as the "rufous-naped" subspecies of the rufous-naped ground tyrant. BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) includes only M. r. pallidiceps and M. r. rufivertex in the rufous-naped ground tyrant. It treats M. r. occipitalis as a separate species, the chestnut-naped ground tyrant, and does not recognize M. r. achalensis. As far as possible this article follows the IOC four-subspecies treatment. == Description == The rufous-naped ground tyrant is 15.5 to 18 cm (6.1 to 7.1 in) long and weighs about 19 to 22 g (0.67 to 0.78 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults…