Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Encyclopedia
The Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Myiarchus tuberculifer, is a passerine
bird
in the tyrant flycatcher
family. It breeds in forest and other woodland from southern Arizona
, as well as the Chisos Mountains
, Texas
, south to northern Argentina
and on Trinidad
. It is resident in most of its range, but American
breeders retreat to Mexico
in winter.
Adult Dusky-capped Flycatchers are 18cm long and weigh 19.4g. The upperparts are brown, with a blackish head and short crest. The breast is grey and the belly is bright yellow. The brown tail feathers and wings have paler outer webs. The sexes are similar, but young birds have rufous edgings to the wings and tail.
The Dusky-capped Flycatcher is best separated from other confusingly similar Myiarchus
species by its smaller size, blackish head, and its call, a sorrowful, descending, whistled peeur or wheeeeeu.
This species is insectivorous
and catches its prey by flycatching amongst the middle branches of trees. Fruits such as from Gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba), and less frequently from Cymbopetalum mayanum (Annonaceae
) are sometimes also eaten, particularly in winter. The nest is built in a tree cavity, and the normal clutch is three brown-marked buff eggs. The young fledge 13 days after hatching.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the tyrant flycatcher
Tyrant flycatcher
The tyrant flycatchers are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They are considered the largest family of birds on Earth, with more than 400 species. They are the most diverse avian family in every country in the Americas, except for the United States and...
family. It breeds in forest and other woodland from southern Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, as well as the Chisos Mountains
Chisos Mountains
The Chisos Mountains are a mountain range located in the Big Bend area of West Texas, USA. The mountain range is contained entirely within the boundaries of Big Bend National Park. This is the only mountain range in the United States to be fully contained within the boundary of a National Park...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, south to northern Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and on Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
. It is resident in most of its range, but American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
breeders retreat to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in winter.
Adult Dusky-capped Flycatchers are 18cm long and weigh 19.4g. The upperparts are brown, with a blackish head and short crest. The breast is grey and the belly is bright yellow. The brown tail feathers and wings have paler outer webs. The sexes are similar, but young birds have rufous edgings to the wings and tail.
The Dusky-capped Flycatcher is best separated from other confusingly similar Myiarchus
Myiarchus
Myiarchus is a genus of tyrant flycatchers. They are all fairly similar looking and areas where they overlap in range can making identification to species difficult at best....
species by its smaller size, blackish head, and its call, a sorrowful, descending, whistled peeur or wheeeeeu.
This species is insectivorous
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
and catches its prey by flycatching amongst the middle branches of trees. Fruits such as from Gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba), and less frequently from Cymbopetalum mayanum (Annonaceae
Annonaceae
Annonaceae, also called the custard apple familyis a family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs or rarely lianas.With about 2300 to 2500 species and more than 130 genera,...
) are sometimes also eaten, particularly in winter. The nest is built in a tree cavity, and the normal clutch is three brown-marked buff eggs. The young fledge 13 days after hatching.