Piratic Flycatcher
Encyclopedia
The Piratic Flycatcher, Legatus leucophaius, is a passerine
bird
, the only member of the genus Legatus. It is a resident breeder from southern Mexico
and Trinidad
south to Bolivia
and Argentina
. At least some birds from Central America
and Trinidad are migratory
, and this species also visits Tobago
.
This tyrant flycatcher
is found in savannah and other semi-open habitat with large trees. It gets its name because it does not build its own nest, but appropriates the domed or enclosed nests of other, often far larger, bird species, such as Yellow-rumped Cacique
or Crested Oropendola
. Once the persistence of the flycatchers has driven the rightful owners away, their eggs are removed, and the female flycatcher lays up to four, but usually two, black-streaked brown eggs. She incubates these on her own for 16 days to hatching, with a further 18-20 days to fledging.
The adult Piratic Flycatcher is 15 cm long and weighs 23g. The upperparts are unstreaked plain brown, although the flight feathers have narrow white edges. The head has a long whitish supercilium, a concealed yellow crown stripe, and a dusky mask through the eyes. The throat is white, and there is a white malar stripe. The underparts are whitish with touches of light yellow, besides blurred brownish streaking on the breast and flanks. The dark bill is short and broad.
The call is an upslurred weeEEE given from a high perch for long periods of the day, or sometimes a monotonous weep weep weep.
Piratic Flycatchers wait on an exposed perch high in a tree, occasionally sallying out to feed on fruit
, their staple diet. The young are fed on insect
s.
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...
, the only member of the genus Legatus. It is a resident breeder from southern 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...
and 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...
south to Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and 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...
. At least some birds from Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and Trinidad are migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, and this species also visits Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
.
This 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...
is found in savannah and other semi-open habitat with large trees. It gets its name because it does not build its own nest, but appropriates the domed or enclosed nests of other, often far larger, bird species, such as Yellow-rumped Cacique
Yellow-rumped Cacique
The Yellow-rumped Cacique, Cacicus cela, is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds in much of northern South America from Panama and Trinidad south to Peru, Bolivia and central Brazil.-Description:...
or Crested Oropendola
Crested Oropendola
The Crested Oropendola, Psarocolius decumanus, is a New World tropical icterid bird. It is a resident breeder in lowland South America east of the Andes, from Panama and Colombia south to northern Argentina, as well as on Trinidad and Tobago...
. Once the persistence of the flycatchers has driven the rightful owners away, their eggs are removed, and the female flycatcher lays up to four, but usually two, black-streaked brown eggs. She incubates these on her own for 16 days to hatching, with a further 18-20 days to fledging.
The adult Piratic Flycatcher is 15 cm long and weighs 23g. The upperparts are unstreaked plain brown, although the flight feathers have narrow white edges. The head has a long whitish supercilium, a concealed yellow crown stripe, and a dusky mask through the eyes. The throat is white, and there is a white malar stripe. The underparts are whitish with touches of light yellow, besides blurred brownish streaking on the breast and flanks. The dark bill is short and broad.
The call is an upslurred weeEEE given from a high perch for long periods of the day, or sometimes a monotonous weep weep weep.
Piratic Flycatchers wait on an exposed perch high in a tree, occasionally sallying out to feed on fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
, their staple diet. The young are fed on insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s.