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Tyrant flycatcher

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This article is about the new world tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. For the old world flycatcher family Muscicapidae, see Old World flycatcher. For other uses, see Flycatcher.

The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America.[1] They are considered the largest family of birds known, with more than 400 species. They are the most diverse avian family in every country in the Americas, except for the United States and Canada. The members vary greatly in shape, patterns, size and colors. Some tyrant flycatchers may superficially resemble the Old World flycatchers, which they are named after but are not closely related to. They are members of suborder Tyranni (suboscines), which do not have the sophisticated vocal capabilities of most other songbirds.[2]

Tyrant flycatchers
Yellowish flycatcher,
Empidonax flavescens
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Parvorder: Tyrannida
Family: Tyrannidae
Vigors, 1825
Type genus
Tyrannus
Genera

Some 100, see text

Distribution of tyrant flycatchers

A number of species previously included in this family are now placed in the family Tityridae (see Systematics). Sibley and Alquist in their 1990 bird taxonomy had the genera Mionectes, Leptopogon, Pseudotriccus, Poecilotriccus, Taenotriccus, Hemitriccus, Todirostrum and Corythopis as a separate family Pipromorphidae,[3] but although it is still thought that these genera are basal to most of the family, they are not each other's closest relatives.[3]

Description

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Most species are rather plain, with various hues of brown, gray and white commonplace, often providing some degree of presumed camouflage. Obvious exceptions include the bright red vermilion flycatcher, blue, black, white and yellow many-colored rush-tyrant and some species of tody-flycatchers or tyrants, which are often yellow, black, white and/or rufous, from the Todirostrum, Hemitriccus and Poecilotriccus genera. Several species have bright yellow underparts, from the ornate flycatcher to the great kiskadee. Some species have erectile crests. Several of the large genera (i.e. Elaenia, Myiarchus or Empidonax) are quite difficult to tell apart in the field due to similar plumage and some are best distinguished by their voices. Behaviorally they can vary from species such as spadebills which are tiny, shy and live in dense forest interiors to kingbirds, which are relatively large, bold, inquisitive and often inhabit open areas near human habitations. As the name implies, a great majority of tyrant flycatchers are almost entirely insectivorous (though not necessarily specialized in flies). Tyrant flycatchers are largely opportunistic feeders and often catch any flying or arboreal insect they encounter. However, food can vary greatly and some (like the large great kiskadee) will eat fruit or small vertebrates (e.g. small frogs). In North America, most species are associated with a "sallying" feeding style, where they fly up to catch an insect directly from their perch and then immediately return to the same perch. Most tropical species, however, do not feed in this fashion and several types prefer to glean insects from leaves and bark. Tropical species are sometimes found in mixed-species foraging flocks, where various types of passerines and other smallish birds are found feeding in proximity.

The smallest family members are the closely related short-tailed pygmy tyrant and black-capped pygmy tyrant from the genus Myiornis (the first species usually being considered marginally smaller on average). These species reach a total length of 6.5–7 cm (2.6–2.8 in) and a weight of 4 to 5 g (0.14 to 0.18 oz). By length, they are the smallest passerines on earth, although some species of Old World warblers apparently rival them in their minuscule mean body masses if not in total length.[4] The minuscule size and very short tail of the Myiornis pygmy tyrants often lend them a resemblance to a tiny ball or insect. The largest tyrant flycatcher is the great shrike-tyrant at 29 cm (11 in) and 99.2 grams (0.219 pounds). A few species such as the streamer-tailed tyrant, scissor-tailed flycatcher and fork-tailed flycatcher have a larger total length — up to 41 cm (16 in) in the fork-tailed flycatcher at least — but this is mainly due to their extremely long tails; the fork-tailed flycatcher has the longest tail feathers of any known bird relative to their size (this being in reference to true tail feathers, not to be confused with elongated tail streamers as seen in some from the Phasianidae family of galliforms).[5]

Habitat and distribution

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Species richness of Tyrannidae, when compared to habitat, is highly variable, although most every land habitat in the Americas has at least some of these birds. The habitats of tropical lowland evergreen forest and montane evergreen forest have the highest single site species diversity while many habitats including rivers, palm forest, white sand forest, tropical deciduous forest edge, southern temperate forest, southern temperate forest edge, semi-humid/humid montane scrub, and northern temperate grassland have the lowest single species diversity. The variation between the highest and the lowest is extreme; ninety species can be found in the tropical lowland evergreen forests while the number of species that can be found in the habitats listed above typically are in the single digits. This may be due in part to the fewer niches found in certain areas and therefore fewer places for the species to occupy.

Tyrannidae specialization among habitats is very strong in tropical lowland evergreen forests and montane evergreen forests. These habitat types, therefore, display the greatest specialization. The counts differ by three species (tropical lowland evergreen forests have 49 endemic species and montane evergreen forests have 46 endemic species). It can be assumed that they both have similar levels of specialization.

Regionally, the Atlantic Forest has the highest species richness with the Chocó following closely behind.

Status and conservation

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The northern beardless tyrannulet (Camptostoma imberbe) is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.[6] This species is common south of the US border. The situation for a number of other species from South and Central America is far more problematic. In 2007, BirdLife International (and consequently IUCN) considered two species, the Minas Gerais tyrannulet and Kaempfer's tody-tyrant critically endangered. Both are endemic to Brazil. Additionally, seven species were considered endangered and eighteen species vulnerable.[7]

Systematics

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The family's name is derived from an early description of the eastern kingbird as "the tyrant" by naturalist Mark Catesby in the 1730s. Carl Linnaeus adopted that name for the entire family Tyrannidae, because he admired Catesby's work.[8]

The family contains 447 species divided into 104 genera.[9] A full list, sortable by common and binomial names, is at list of tyrant flycatcher species. Species in the genera Tityra, Pachyramphus, Laniocera and Xenopsaris were formerly placed in this family, but evidence suggested they belong in their own family, the Tityridae,[10] where they are now placed by SACC.

Image Genus Species
  Piprites Cabanis, 1847
  Phyllomyias Cabanis & Heine, 1859
  Tyrannulus Vieillot, 1816
  Myiopagis Salvin & Godman, 1888
  Elaenia Sundevall, 1836
  Ornithion Hartlaub, 1853
  Camptostoma P.L. Sclater, 1857
  Suiriri d'Orbigny, 1840
  Mecocerculus P.L. Sclater, 1862
  Anairetes Reichenbach, 1850
  Uromyias Hellmayr, 1927
  Serpophaga Gould, 1839
  Nesotriccus Townsend, CH, 1895
  Capsiempis Cabanis & Heine, 1859
  Polystictus Reichenbach, 1850
  Pseudocolopteryx Lillo, 1905
  Pseudotriccus Taczanowski & Berlepsch, 1885
  Corythopis Sundevall, 1836
  Euscarthmus Wied-Neuwied, 1831
  Pseudelaenia W. Lanyon, 1988
  Stigmatura Sclater & Salvin, 1866
  Zimmerius Traylor, 1977
  Pogonotriccus Cabanis & Heine, 1859
  Phylloscartes Cabanis & Heine, 1859
  Mionectes Cabanis, 1844
  Leptopogon Cabanis, 1844
  Guyramemua Lopes et al., 2017
  Sublegatus Sclater & Salvin, 1868
  Inezia Cherrie, 1909
  Myiophobus Reichenbach, 1850
  Nephelomyias (Ohlson, Fjeldsa and Ericson, 2009)
  Myiotriccus Ridgway, 1905
  Tachuris Lafresnaye, 1836
  Culicivora Swainson, 1827
  Hemitriccus Cabanis & Heine, 1859
  Myiornis Bertoni, A.W., 1901
  Oncostoma P.L. Sclater, 1862
  Lophotriccus Berlepsch, 1884
  Atalotriccus Ridgway, 1905
  Poecilotriccus Berlepsch, 1884
  Taeniotriccus Berlepsch & Hartert, 1902
  Todirostrum – typical tody-flycatchers Lesson, 1831
  Cnipodectes P.L. Sclater & Salvin, 1873
  Rhynchocyclus Cabanis & Heine, 1859
  Tolmomyias Hellmayr, 1927
  Calyptura Swainson, 1832
  Platyrinchus Desmarest, 1805
  Neopipo Sclater & Salvin, 1869
  Pyrrhomyias Cabanis & Heine, 1859
  Hirundinea Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837
  Lathrotriccus Lanyon,W & Lanyon,S, 1986
  Aphanotriccus Ridgway, 1905
  Cnemotriccus Hellmayr, 1927
  Xenotriccus Dwight & Griscom, 1927
  Sayornis – phoebes Bonaparte, 1854
  Mitrephanes Coues, 1882
  Contopus Cabanis, 1855
  Empidonax Cabanis, 1855
  Pyrocephalus Gould, 1839
  Ochthornis P.L. Sclater, 1888
  Satrapa Strickland, 1844
  Syrtidicola Chesser et al, 2020
  Muscisaxicola – ground tyrants Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837
  Lessonia Swainson, 1832
  Hymenops Lesson, 1828
  Knipolegus F. Boie, 1826
  Cnemarchus Ridgway, 1905
  Xolmis F. Boie, 1826
  Pyrope Cabanis & Heine, 1860
  Nengetus Swainson, 1827
  Neoxolmis Hellmayr, 1927
  Myiotheretes Reichenbach, 1850
  Agriornis – shrike-tyrants Gould, 1839
  Gubernetes Such, 1825
  Muscipipra Lesson, 1831
  Fluvicola Swainson, 1827
  Arundinicola d'Orbigny, 1840
  Heteroxolmis Lanyon, W, 1986
  Alectrurus Vieillot, 1816
  Tumbezia Chapman, 1925
  Silvicultrix Lanyon, W, 1986
  Ochthoeca Cabanis, 1847
  Colorhamphus Sundevall, 1872
  Colonia
  Muscigralla Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837
  Machetornis G.R. Gray, 1841
  Legatus P.L. Sclater, 1859
  Phelpsia W. Lanyon, 1984
  Myiozetetes P.L. Sclater, 1859
  Pitangus Swainson, 1827
  Philohydor Lanyon, W, 1984
  Conopias Cabanis & Heine, 1859
  Myiodynastes Bonaparte, 1857
  Megarynchus Thunberg, 1824
  Tyrannopsis Ridgway, 1905
  Empidonomus Cabanis & Heine, 1859
  Griseotyrannus W.E. Lanyon, 1984
  Tyrannus Lacépède, 1799
  Rhytipterna Reichenbach, 1850
  Sirystes Cabanis & Heine, 1859
  Casiornis Des Murs , 1856
  Myiarchus Cabanis, 1844
  Ramphotrigon G.R. Gray, 1855
  Attila Lesson, 1831

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Tyrant flycatchers « IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Archived from the original on 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
  2. ^ del Hoyo, J. Elliott, A. & Christie, D. (editors). (2004) Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 9: Cotingas to Pipits and Wagtails. Lynx Edicions. ISBN 84-87334-69-5
  3. ^ a b Rheindt, F.E.; Norman, J.A.; Christidis, L. (2008). "Phylogenetic relationships of tyrant-flycatchers (Aves: Tyrannidae), with an emphasis on the elaeniine assemblage" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 46 (1): 88–101. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.09.011. PMID 18042406. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-12-10. Retrieved 2012-08-05.
  4. ^ CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses, 2nd Edition by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (2008), ISBN 978-1-4200-6444-5.
  5. ^ Bird, David Mitchell (2004). The Bird Almanac: A Guide to Essential Facts and Figures of the World's Birds. Buffalo, NY, USA: Firefly Books. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-55297-925-9. Archived from the original on 2019-12-29. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
  6. ^ "List of Migratory Bird Species Protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act as of December 2, 2013" Archived June 7, 2019, at the Wayback Machine U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
  7. ^ BirdLife International (2007). Species factsheets. Accessed 12 December 2007 available online Archived 2007-07-10 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Naturally curious: Tyrant flycatchers have enjoyed their name since 1700s". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  9. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (December 2023). "Tyrant flycatchers". IOC World Bird List Version 14.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  10. ^ Adopt the Family Tityridae Archived 2008-05-08 at the Wayback Machine – South American Classification Committee (2007)

Further reading

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