Paramo Ground Tyrant (Muscisaxicola alpinus) [XC260953]
by id from Azuay: Cajas NP (high), Ecuador (call, calls)
Paramo Ground Tyrant (Muscisaxicola alpinus) [XC53711]
by Christiana Fattorelli from Laguna La Cubierta (origen Quebrada San Pacho), PN Los Nevados, Risaralda, Colombia (call, persecution call)
Subspecies
Muscisaxicola alpina (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) has been split into Plain-capped Ground-tyrant (Muscisaxicola alpinus) and Taczanowski's Ground-tyrant (Muscisaxicola griseus) following SACC (2005). Gender agreement of species names follows David and Gosselin (2002b).
Formerly considered conspecific with Taczanowski's Ground-tyrant (Muscisaxicola griseus) and Cinereous Ground-tyrant (Muscisaxicola cinereus) by some authors. Recent molecular work supports treatment as distinct species. Subspecies weakly differentiated.
The following 3 subspecies are recognised:
columbianus Chapman, 1912 - North-central Andes of Colombia.
quesadae Meyer de Schauensee, 1942 - Eastern Andes of Colombia (Boyacá, Cundinamarca).