The tyrant flycatchers are a large (400+ species) group of birds which are found exclusively in the Americas, particularly in tropical South America. Many members of the group forage in a similar manner - by sallying forth to catch flies from a perch, though others glean insects from foliage, or eat fruit. Although they bear the same name as the Old World Flycatchers they are not closely related. Many species look confusingly similar - although their songs are often weak and undistinguished, they play a key role in separating the different species.

Only two species, the Eastern Phoebe and Alder Flycatcher, have been recorded in Britain, and even then on only as an extreme vagrants.