Velvety Black-Tyrant

The velvety black tyrant is 17.5 to 18 cm (6.9 to 7.1 in) long. Adult males of the nominate subspecies are almost entirely glossy blue-black and have a small bushy crest. Their primaries have white bases that are conspicuous in flight but usually not visible at rest. Adult females are also mostly glossy blue-black. They do not have a crest but have a black-streaked chestnut throat. Subspecies M. n. hoflingae is smaller than the nominate. Males have brown primaries and females have a smaller throat patch than the nominate. Both sexes of both subspecies have a dark red iris, a pale bluish gray bill, and black legs and feet.

The velvety black tyrant has a disjunct distribution. The nominate subspecies is found in the southeast, from Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo south to Rio Grande do Sul. Subspecies M. n. hoflingae is found further north, in eastern Brazil between Pernambuco and central Bahia. It inhabits montane grasslands, typically those with rocky areas and some trees and shrubs that the species tends to be near. In elevation it mostly ranges between 1,800 and 2,700 m (5,900 and 8,900 ft) but locally is found as low as 700 m (2,300 ft).

The velvety black tyrant feeds on insects. It usually forages in pairs, sallying for prey from a perch low in a bush or tree.