Nutting's Flycatcher
Encyclopedia
Nutting's Flycatcher, Myiarchus nuttingi, is a passerine
bird
in the tyrant flycatcher
family. It breeds in semi-arid desert scrub and tropical deciduous forest from western Mexico
to northwest Costa Rica
. It is normally a year round resident, however has been known as an occasional vagrant to southern California
and southern Arizona
–(the Madrean sky islands
region), in the United States
.
The nest is built in a tree cavity or similar natural or man-made hole, and the normal clutch is three to five eggs.
Adult Nutting's Flycatchers are 18-19cm long and weigh 21-23g. The upperparts are olive brown, with a darker head and short crest. The breast is grey and the belly is a softly colored yellow. The brown tail feathers and wings have rufous outer webs, and there are two dull wing bars. The sexes are similar.
The Nutting's Flycatcher is separated from other confusingly similar Myiarchus species by its call, a sharp weeep.
This species is primarily an insectivore
which catches its prey by flycatching amongst the undergrowth, but will also take berries.
The name of this bird commemorates the zoologist Charles Cleveland Nutting
.
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 semi-arid desert scrub and tropical deciduous forest from western 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...
to northwest Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. It is normally a year round resident, however has been known as an occasional vagrant to southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and 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...
–(the Madrean sky islands
Madrean sky islands
The Madrean Sky Islands are enclaves of Madrean pine-oak woodlands, found at higher elevations in a complex of small mountain ranges in southern and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. The sky islands are surrounded at lower elevations by the Sonoran and...
region), in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The nest is built in a tree cavity or similar natural or man-made hole, and the normal clutch is three to five eggs.
Adult Nutting's Flycatchers are 18-19cm long and weigh 21-23g. The upperparts are olive brown, with a darker head and short crest. The breast is grey and the belly is a softly colored yellow. The brown tail feathers and wings have rufous outer webs, and there are two dull wing bars. The sexes are similar.
The Nutting's Flycatcher is separated from other confusingly similar Myiarchus species by its call, a sharp weeep.
This species is primarily an insectivore
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....
which catches its prey by flycatching amongst the undergrowth, but will also take berries.
The name of this bird commemorates the zoologist Charles Cleveland Nutting
Charles Cleveland Nutting
Charles Cleveland Nutting was an American zoologist, born in Jacksonville, Illinois. He graduated from Blackburn University and received the M. A. degree from the same institution in 1882...
.