Habitat
Subtropical and tropical moist lowland and montane forest, subtropical and tropical dry and moist shrubland, temperate and dry shrubland. From sea-level - 3,200 m, occasionally up to 3,700 m.
White-winged Black Tyrant (Knipolegus aterrimus) [XC778743]
by Eduardo Quintanilla from Cochabamba: 1.4 km NW Aiquile, Bolivia (call)
White-winged Black Tyrant (Knipolegus aterrimus) [XC139688]
by Dan Lane from NW of San Marcos, Cajamarca, Peru (song)
Subspecies
Knipolegus aterrimus (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into White-winged Black-tyrant (Knipolegus aterrimus) and Caatinga Black-tyrant (Knipolegus franciscanus) following Stotz et al. (1996), contra SACC (2005), pending the outcome of investigation into the taxonomy of this form by SACC.
Geographically isolated subspecies franscianus has been considered to be a separate species, but field data and museum specimens generally lacking and current treatment maintained pending further information.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
heterogyna von Berlepsch, 1907 - Northern Peru (Marañón Valley from Cajamarca south to Ancash). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, White-rumped Black-tyrant (Knipolegus heterogyna).
anthracinus Heine, 1860 - Southern Peru (Ayacucho, Cuzco, northern Puno) and north-western Bolivia (La Paz).
aterrimus Kaup, 1853 - Southern Bolivia (Cochabamba and Santa Cruz south to Potosí and Tarija) and western Argentina (south to Chubut). Also Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina in non-breeding season.
franciscanus E. Snethlage, 1928 - E-central Brazil (Minas Gerais and Rio São Francisco in Bahia). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Caatinga Black-tyrant (Knipolegus franciscanus).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet