Myiarchus

Myiarchus is a genus of birds in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. Most species are fairly similar in appearance and are easier to separate by voice than by plumage.

Myiarchus
Brown-crested flycatcher
Myiarchus tyrannulus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Myiarchus
Cabanis, 1844
Type species
Muscicapa ferox

Myiarchus flycatchers are fairly large tyrant-flycatchers at 16–23 cm (6.3–9 in) long. They are all partially crested with a brown to gray back and head, a rufous to blackish tail and yellow to pale underparts (only exception is the rufous flycatcher with rufous underparts). They typically forage by perching on an open branch and looking outward and downward for prey, which primarily consists of insects. Once it spots a potential meal, the flycatcher rapidly and directly flies at the insect, which is normally on the exposed upper surface of a leaf or twig. It hovers briefly before the insect before grabbing it in its beak and flying away to typically a new perch.[1]

Taxonomy

The genus Myiarchus was introduced in 1844 by the German ornithologist Jean Cabanis.[2] The name combines the Ancient Greek muia meaning "fly" with arkhos meaning "ruler" or "chief".[3] Cabanis did not specify a type species for the genus but this was designated as the short-crested flycatcher by George Gray in 1855.[4][5]

The genus contains 22 species:[6]

References
  1. Lanyon, Wesley (1982). "Behavior, morphology, and systematics of the Flammulated Flycatcher of Mexico" (PDF). Auk. 99 (3): 414–423.
  2. Cabanis, Jean (1844). "Avium conspectus quae in Republica Pernana reperiuntur et pleraeqne observatae vel collectae sunt in itinere". Archiv für Naturgeschichte (in Latin). 10 (1): 262–317 [272].
  3. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 263. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. Gray, George Robert (1855). Catalogue of the Genera and Subgenera of Birds Contained in the British Museum. London: British Museum. p. 49.
  5. Traylor, Melvin A. Jr, ed. (1979). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 8. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 194.
  6. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Tyrant flycatchers". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 1 July 2019.


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