The species is endemic to Brazil.
Females have grayish brown colors above, cinnamon-rufous colors on the rump, creamy belly, and blackish wings with two visible bars.
Known in Brazil as "maria-preta-do-nordeste".
Snethlage, E, 1928: NOTE(AS,ENG: Knipolegus franciscanus is split from K. aterrimus (Silva & Oren 1992; Ridgely & Tudor 1994; Hosner and Moyle 2012); SACC 754 pending. Change English name to Sao Francisco Black Tyrant because habitat is deciduous woodland
German
São-Francisco-Dunkeltyrann
French
Ada du Sao Francisco
Chinese
巴西黑霸鹟
Japanese
カーティンガクロタイランチョウ
Russian
Францисканский болотный тиранн
Spanish
Viudita de caatinga
Portuguese
maria-preta-do-nordeste
Bird Data App text
Split from the [White-winged Black Tyrant], and sometimes called the Caatinga Black Tyrant because of the 'Caatinga' desert region where it is found.
Africa (entire continent rather than south of Sahara)
AN
Antarctica
AO
Atlantic Ocean
AU
Australasia (Wallacea (Indonesian islands east of Wallace's line), New Guinea and its islands, Australia, New Zealand and its subantarctic islands, the Solomons, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu)
PAL
Eurasia (Europe, Asia from the Middle East through central Asia north of the Himalayas, Siberia and northern China to Japan)
IO
Indian Ocean
LA
Latin America (Middle and South America)
MA
Middle America (Mexico through Panama)
NA
North America (includes the Caribbean)
NO
Northern oceans
OR
Oriental Region (South Asia from Pakistan to Taiwan, plus Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Greater Sundas)