Tyrant Flycatchers (Tyrannidae): Species & Identification

The dusky-capped flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer) is a small passerine with multiple subspecies distributed across the Americas.

Myiarchus tuberculifer, commonly called the dusky-capped flycatcher, measures 16 to 18.5 cm (6.3 to 7.3 in) long and weighs 14 to 27 g (0.49 to 0.95 oz). The sexes have identical plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies M. t. tuberculifer have a sooty brown crown and face, with crown feathers forming a slight crest. Their upperparts are mostly dark greenish olive-brown, with browner uppertail co...

The apical flycatcher (Myiarchus apicalis) is a medium-sized bird with a disjunct range in west-central Colombia.

Myiarchus apicalis P.L.Sclater & Salvin, 1881, commonly called the apical flycatcher, is a typical representative of Myiarchus flycatchers. It is a slim, medium-sized bird with very few truly distinctive features. It measures 17 to 18 cm (6.7 to 7.1 in) in length and weighs 26 to 33.5 g (0.92 to 1.2 oz). Males and females have identical plumage. Adult apical flycatchers have a brownish olive crown...

Myiarchus ferox, the short-crested flycatcher, is a South American tyrant flycatcher with three described subspecies that lives in open habitats.

The short-crested flycatcher (Myiarchus ferox) is approximately 18 cm (7.1 in) long and weighs 21 to 34 g (0.74 to 1.2 oz). Both sexes share identical plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies, M. f. ferox, have smoky brown crowns and upperparts, with a small crest on the crown. The rest of their face is gray. Most of their wings are dark brown; the outer webs of the tertials range in color from ...

Ash-throated flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) is a medium-sized North American tyrant flycatcher with distinct plumage and migratory habits.

This species, Myiarchus cinerascens (Lawrence, 1851), is commonly known as the ash-throated flycatcher. It is a medium-sized tyrant flycatcher, with a body length ranging from 7.5 to 8.6 inches (19 to 22 cm), a wingspan from 11.8 to 12.6 inches (30 to 32 cm), and a body mass between 0.7 to 1.3 ounces (20 to 37 g). Overall, the species has a slim build and a long tail, with a slightly peaked crest ...

Myiarchus stolidus, the stolid flycatcher, is a small bird with two subspecies native to Jamaica and Hispaniola.

The stolid flycatcher (Myiarchus stolidus) measures 20 cm (7.9 in) in length and weighs approximately 19 to 26 g (0.67 to 0.92 oz). Both sexes have identical plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have an olive-green crown with a small crest, and a dark gray face. Most of their upperparts are olive-green, with slightly lighter uppertail coverts. Their wings are mostly brown: primaries have thi...

Myiarchus tyrannulus, the brown-crested flycatcher, is a bird with multiple subspecies found across the Americas.

The brown-crested flycatcher, Myiarchus tyrannulus (first described by Statius Muller in 1776), measures 18 to 23 cm (7.1 to 9.1 in) in total length, with body size decreasing from the northern to southern parts of its range. The subspecies M. t. magister is the largest taxon in the entire genus Myiarchus, weighing 36 to 54 g (1.3 to 1.9 oz), while other subspecies weigh 21 to 45 g (0.74 to 1.6 oz...

Myiarchus antillarum, the Puerto Rican flycatcher, is a small tyrant flycatcher found across Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

The Puerto Rican flycatcher (scientific name Myiarchus antillarum (H.Bryant, 1866)) measures approximately 16 to 18 cm (6.3 to 7.1 in) in length, and weighs between 20.5 and 27.5 g (0.72 to 0.97 oz). Both sexes share identical plumage. Adult individuals have a dark sooty brown crest formed by the crown of the head, and a lighter sooty brown face. Their upperparts are colored olive-brown. Their win...

La Sagra's flycatcher (Myiarchus sagrae) is a bird with two subspecies found across the Caribbean and occasional records in the southeastern US.

La Sagra's flycatcher (Myiarchus sagrae) measures 19 to 22 cm (7.5 to 8.7 in) in length and weighs 14 to 29 g (0.49 to 1.0 oz). The sexes share identical plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a smoky olive-brown crown that is slightly lighter toward the front; unlike most other Myiarchus flycatchers, their crown has a flat appearance. Their face is ashy gray. Most of their upperparts are...

Myiarchus crinitus, the great crested flycatcher, is a North American migratory bird with distinct plumage and vocalizations that hunts mostly insects.

Adult great crested flycatchers (Myiarchus crinitus) typically measure 17–21 cm (6.7–8.3 in) in length, have a wingspan of around 34 cm (13 in), and weigh between 27–40 g (0.95–1.41 oz). This species shows no sexual dimorphism. All adults have brownish upperparts, yellow underparts, a long rusty brown tail, a bushy crest, and grey throat and breast. Males produce a three-part "dawn song" (also cal...

This is a detailed description of Swainson's flycatcher (Myiarchus swainsoni), covering its physical traits, distribution and habitat.

Swainson's flycatcher (Myiarchus swainsoni Cabanis & Heine, 1859) measures 19.5 to 21 cm (7.7 to 8.3 in) in length and weighs approximately 21 to 38 g (0.74 to 1.3 oz). Males and females have identical plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a dull olive gray-green crown and upperparts, with slightly browner uppertail coverts. The crown feathers form a slight crest. Their wings are mostly ...

Myiarchus nuttingi (Nutting's flycatcher) is a small tyrant flycatcher with three subspecies ranging from Mexico to Costa Rica.

Nutting's flycatcher (Myiarchus nuttingi Ridgway, 1882) measures 18 to 19 cm (7.1 to 7.5 inches) long and weighs approximately 21 to 24 g (0.74 to 0.85 oz). Both sexes share identical plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a drab gray-brown crown with a slight crest, while the rest of the face is a paler gray. Their upperparts are mostly drab gray-brown, with a rufescent tinge on the uppe...

Myiarchus magnirostris, the Galapagos flycatcher, is a small passerine native to most of the Galápagos Islands.

The Galapagos flycatcher, Myiarchus magnirostris (Gould, 1839), is 14 to 16 cm (5.5 to 6.3 in) long and weighs 12 to 18.5 g (0.42 to 0.65 oz). Males and females have identical plumage. Adults have a gray-brown to olive-brown crown, with feathers that form a small crest. The rest of the face is a lighter gray-brown. Most of the upperparts are gray-brown to olive-brown, with a brown rump. The wings ...

Myiarchus panamensis, the Panama flycatcher, is a small tyrant flycatcher with two subspecies found across Central and northern South America.

The Panama flycatcher (Myiarchus panamensis Lawrence, 1860) measures 19 to 20 cm (7.5 to 7.9 in) in length and weighs approximately 28 to 38.5 g (0.99 to 1.4 oz). Males and females have identical plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have grayish olive crowns and upperparts. The crown has a slight crest and is slightly darker at its center, creating a streaked appearance. The rest of the bird...

The Yucatan flycatcher (Myiarchus yucatanensis) is a small passerine bird native to the Yucatán Peninsula and surrounding areas.

Myiarchus yucatanensis, commonly called the Yucatan flycatcher, measures 17.5 to 19 cm (6.9 to 7.5 in) long and weighs 19 to 23 g (0.67 to 0.81 oz). The sexes of this species have identical plumage. Adult nominate subspecies have a crown made of feathers with dark brown centers and wide rufescent edges, and these feathers form a crest. The face is mostly darker gray, with grayish lores and a half ...

The Lesser Antillean flycatcher (Myiarchus oberi) is a passerine bird with four subspecies native to the Lesser Antilles.

Myiarchus oberi Lawrence, 1877, commonly known as the Lesser Antillean flycatcher, measures 19 to 22 cm (7.5 to 8.7 in) in length and weighs 21 to 37 g (0.74 to 1.3 oz). The sexes have identical plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies M. o. oberi have a dark olive-green crest-forming crown, with a grayer olive-green face. Most of their upperparts are dark olive-green, with rufous edges on the u...

Pale-edged flycatcher (Myiarchus cephalotes) is a South American bird with two distinct subspecies, found in Andean mountain habitats.

Pale-edged flycatcher, Myiarchus cephalotes Taczanowski, 1880, measures 18 to 19 cm (7.1 to 7.5 in) in length and weighs approximately 22 to 31 g (0.78 to 1.1 oz). Males and females have identical plumage. Adult individuals of the nominate subspecies have a brownish olive crown, which bears a slight crest. Slightly darker feather centers on the crown create a streaked appearance. The rest of the f...

Myiarchus barbirostris, the sad flycatcher, is a Jamaican bird found in most forest types from sea level to 2000 m.

The sad flycatcher, Myiarchus barbirostris (Swainson, 1827), measures 16.5 to 17 cm (6.5 to 6.7 in) in length and weighs 11.5 to 16 g (0.41 to 0.56 oz). Males and females share the same plumage pattern. Adults have a smoky olive-brown crown and face, with crown feathers that form a crest. Their upperparts are more olive, with rufous-tinged olive-brown uppertail coverts. Their wings are mostly brow...

Myiodynastes chrysocephalus, the golden-crowned flycatcher, is a Andean bird species with defined plumage and specific habitat preferences.

The golden-crowned flycatcher (Myiodynastes chrysocephalus) measures 18.5 to 22 cm (7.3 to 8.7 inches) in length and weighs approximately 37 to 40 g (1.3 to 1.4 oz). Males and females have identical plumage. Adult individuals have a brownish gray to dusky crown, with a usually hidden golden-yellow patch at the crown's center. They have a long white stripe above the eye on a face that is otherwise ...

Myiodynastes maculatus, the streaked flycatcher, is a Neotropical bird with seven subspecies varying in plumage and ranging across the Americas.

The streaked flycatcher (Myiodynastes maculatus) has a scientific binomial name of Myiodynastes maculatus, first described by Statius Muller in 1776. This species measures 20.5 to 23 cm (8.1 to 9.1 in) in length and weighs 36.5 to 50 g (1.3 to 1.8 oz), with both sexes sharing identical plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies M. m. maculatus have an olive to olive-brown crown and nape; individua...

Myiodynastes luteiventris, the sulphur-bellied flycatcher, is a neotropical bird with defined plumage and a wide range spanning the Americas.

The sulphur-bellied flycatcher (Myiodynastes luteiventris P.L.Sclater, 1859) measures about 20 cm (7.9 in) in length and weighs approximately 40 to 57 g (1.4 to 2.0 oz). Both sexes share identical plumage. Adults have a pale hoary gray or grayish white forecrown and supercilium, with a brownish gray to olive crown marked by blackish streaks and a large, usually hidden, canary-yellow patch at the c...

Myiodynastes hemichrysus, the golden-bellied flycatcher, is a tyrant flycatcher with three subspecies found across Central and South American mountains.

The golden-bellied flycatcher (Myiodynastes hemichrysus) measures 20 to 22 cm (7.9 to 8.7 in) long and weighs approximately 39 to 42.5 g (1.4 to 1.5 oz). Both sexes share identical plumage. For adults of the nominate subspecies M. h. hemichrysus, the crown and nape are dusky grayish olive or dark sooty gray with thin black streaks, and have a large, usually hidden yellow patch at the center of the...

Myiodynastes bairdii, or Baird's flycatcher, is a bird with defined plumage traits found in northwestern South American lowlands.

Baird's flycatcher (Myiodynastes bairdii) measures approximately 23 cm (9.1 in) in length; one recorded female individual weighed 45 g (1.6 oz). Males and females have identical plumage. Adult birds have a pale sandy brown to whitish forecrown, and a sandy brown crown marked with light gray streaks that typically holds a hidden yellow patch at its center. They have a broad black "mask" that extend...

Contopus sordidulus is a small North American migratory bird formerly grouped with the eastern wood pewee, that breeds in western open woodlands.

Adult Contopus sordidulus have gray-olive upperparts and light underparts, with the breast suffused with olive. They have two wing bars, and a dark bill with yellowing at the base of the lower mandible. This species looks very similar to the eastern wood pewee, and the two were previously classified as a single species. The call of Contopus sordidulus is a loud, buzzy peeer. Its song is made of th...

This is a description of the physical traits and distribution of the four subspecies of the Cuban pewee.

The Cuban pewee (Contopus caribaeus) measures 15 to 16.5 cm (5.9 to 6.5 in) in length and weighs 8.5 to 13.5 g (0.30 to 0.48 oz). Males and females have identical plumage. Adult individuals of the nominate subspecies C. c. caribaeus have a dark olive-gray crown with a slight crest, slightly paler olive-gray lores, and a whitish crescent around the back of the eye set against an otherwise olive-bro...

Contopus fumigatus, the smoke-colored pewee, is a small non-migratory perching bird found in Northwestern South America.

The smoke-colored pewee, scientifically named Contopus fumigatus, is a grey bird with a slight crest on its head. Its beak is orange with a black culmen. Mature individuals measure 16 to 17 centimeters in length and weigh 18 to 20 grams. This species has no sexual dimorphism, so both sexes have identical plumage. Its feet are anisodactyl: three toes point forward and one points backward, the most ...

Contopus hispaniolensis, the Hispaniolan pewee, is a small tyrant flycatcher native to Hispaniola and Gonâve Island that occupies various wooded habitats.

The Hispaniolan pewee, scientific name Contopus hispaniolensis (H.Bryant, 1867), is 15 to 16 cm (5.9 to 6.3 in) long and weighs about 11.5 g (0.41 oz). Males and females have identical plumage, and the species' two subspecies are also similar to one another. Adult Hispaniolan pewees have a grayish olive head and back, with a slightly darker crown. Their wings are dusky, and sometimes show two fain...

Contopus virens, the eastern wood pewee, is a small insectivorous bird that breeds in eastern North America and winters further south.

The eastern wood pewee (Contopus virens) measures 13.5–15 cm (5.3–5.9 in) in length, weighs approximately 14 g (0.49 oz), and has a wingspan ranging from 9.1–10.2 in (23–26 cm). Males and females have identical plumage. Adult eastern wood pewees have gray-olive upperparts and pale underparts, with an olive tint to the breast. Each wing features two pale wing bars, and the primary flight feathers a...

Contopus latirostris (the Lesser Antillean pewee) is a bird species with three distinct subspecies spread across the Lesser Antilles.

Contopus latirostris, commonly called the Lesser Antillean pewee, has three recognized subspecies. All three grow to an adult length of approximately 15 cm (5.9 in), and males and females of each subspecies have identical appearance. The nominate subspecies has dark sooty brown crowns, olive-brown faces with a faint fulvous tinge, and olive-brown upperparts that carry a cinnamon tinge on the rump ...

Contopus pertinax (greater pewee) is a small bird with two recognized subspecies found across western North and Central America.

Contopus pertinax, commonly called the greater pewee, measures 18 to 20 cm (7.1 to 7.9 in) in length and weighs approximately 22 to 36 g (0.78 to 1.3 oz). Males and females have identical plumage, and both feature a spiky crest. The subspecies C. p. minor is smaller than the nominate subspecies, but their plumage is essentially the same. Adult greater pewees have a plain olive-gray head and upperp...

Contopus cooperi, the olive-sided flycatcher, is a small-to-medium passerine found across the Americas with distinct breeding and non-breeding ecology.

Identification: The olive-sided flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) is a small to medium-sized passerine bird. It is smaller than an American robin, but larger than sparrows. It can be identified by olive-grey or grey-brownish plumage on its upper body, paired with a white throat and white section down the center of its breast. The olive tones on its back and wings are most visible in optimal light, and...