Myiarchus crinitus
SUBFAMILY
Tyranninae
TAXONOMY
Myiarchus crinitus Linnaeus, 1758. Monotypic.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
French: Tyran huppй; German: Schnдppertyrann; Spanish:
Atrapamoscas Copetуn.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
8.5 in (21.5 cm). Plumage includes a dark gray crown, olivegreen
upper parts, gray throat and upper breast, yellow belly
and undertail coverts, two white wing bars, and reddish inner
webs on tail feathers. Bill is heavy and black.
DISTRIBUTION
Eastern half of the United States, extending into southeastern
Canada. Winters from eastern Mexico to Columbia.
HABITAT
Prefers thickly wooded areas and forest edges.
BEHAVIOR
Lives singly or in pairs. Aggressively territorial; males will battle
in the air with other males, clawing and pulling out feathers.
Songs include a strong whistle of “wheeeep!” and a rolling
“prrrrrrreeet!” Often perches high in the canopy on exposed or
dead limbs. Migratory.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Hawks large insects in midair, higher in the air than most flycatchers;
also gleans prey from foliage. Sallies from and back to
a single perch. Takes beetles, crickets, katydids, caterpillars,
moths, butterflies, and some fruits and berries.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Breeds monogamously once per year. Male chases female in
flight during courtship. Nest, built by both sexes, is located in
a preformed cavity such as the abandoned hole of another bird
or a bird box. Nest lining is often covered with a shed snakeskin
or piece of discarded plastic. Female incubates four to
eight eggs for 13 to 15 days.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened. habitat is vulnerable to deforestation.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
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