Dusky-capped Flycatcher

Myiarchus tuberculiferOrder: PASSERIFORMES Family: Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

Codes: Common Name: DCFL Scientific Name: MYITUB ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178319

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Overview

Dusky-capped Flycatcher: Small Myiarchus flycatcher with olive-brown upperparts, white and red-edged wing feathers, brown tail. Throat and breast are pale gray and belly is pale yellow.Feeds on insects, fruits and berries. Rapid flight with shallow wing beats. Sallies to snatch insects in flight.

Range and Habitat

Dusky-capped Flycatcher: Breeds in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Spends winters south of the U.S.-Mexico border and in the tropics. Scrub oak thickets and canyon growth are preferred habitats.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"pee-ur", "huit"

Interesting Facts

The Dusky-capped Flycatcher is best separated from other confusingly similar Myiarchus species by its smaller size, blackish head, and its call, a sorrowful, descending, whistled peeur or wheeeeeu.

A group of flycatchers has many collective nouns, including an "outfield", "swatting", "zapper", and "zipper" of flycatchers.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Dusky-capped Flycatcher

● Song: "pee-ur", "huit"

● Foraging & Feeding: Dusky-capped Flycatcher: Eats insects and some fruits and berries. Forages in the air or on the ground; watches for prey while perching.

● Breeding & nesting: Dusky-capped Flycatcher: Four or five white eggs, marked with brown, lavender, olive and gray, are laid in a tree cavity lined with weeds, feathers, grass, twigs, bark strips, hair, plant fibers, and leaves. Eggs are incubated for approximately 14 days by the female.

● Similar species: Dusky-capped Flycatcher: Great Crested and Brown-crested flycatchers are larger with longer, thicker bills; Great Crested also has a darker gray throat and breast, and more rust-brown on tail. Ash-throated Flycatcher has paler yellow underparts and more rust-brown on tail.

Flight Pattern

Fairly rapid flight with shallow wing beats.

Dusky-capped Flycatcher Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Dusky-capped Flycatcher: Breeds in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Spends winters south of the U.S.-Mexico border and in the tropics. Scrub oak thickets and canyon growth are preferred habitats.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationFairly common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.7 Ounces

Perching-like Body

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America