Black-headed tody-flycatcher

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Black-headed tody-flycatcher
Todirostrum nigriceps 305091725.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Todirostrum
Species:
T. nigriceps
Binomial name
Todirostrum nigriceps
Todirostrum nigriceps map.svg

The black-headed tody-flycatcher (Todirostrum nigriceps) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is a small, black and yellow, insectivorous bird.

Contents

Its call and song are composed of high pitched one-note chirps. Each vocalization is often confounded for the other. Its reproductive traits are not well documented but both parents contribute to building the nest and clutches only have one egg at a time. In 2021, the IUCN assessed its conservation status and deemed it of least concern.

Description

The black-headed tody flycatcher is a small bird with a glossy black head and a white throat. The black coloring continues down the sides of the neck. It has bright yellow underparts and olive-yellow upperparts. The wings are black with two yellow wingbars and yellow streaking and the tail is short and black. Its head is relatively large, as is its straight black bill. It has dark irises and no eye-rings. Its legs are blueish-gray.  

The females and males have the same coloring. Adults are between 8–10.2 cm long and weigh 6–6.5 g. Juveniles have slightly duller plumage, pale yellow underparts and a vaguely yellow throat. Their heads are also duller black, and their wingbars are more olive-tinged. [2]

The black-headed tody flycatcher is often confused with the common flycatcher (Todirostrum cinereum) , which has a yellow throat and white eye-ring. [3] Other similar species include the painted tody-flycatcher (Todirostrum pictum) which has black-streaked underparts and a yellow throat, and the yellow-browed tody-flycatcher (Todirostrum chrysocrotaphum) which has a yellow and black throat and yellow supercilium. [4] [5]

Taxonomy

The black-headed tody-flycatcher is a member of the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. [6] The genus Todirostrum was first described by French naturalist René Lesson in 1831. [7] The name combines the genus Todus and the Latin "rostrum" which means bill. [8] Within the Todirostrum genus, there are seven species. [9] The species name "nigriceps" is Latin for "black-headed," hence its common name. [6] The species was first described by Philip Sclater in 1855. Its holotype is in the British Museum of Natural History, in London. [10]

Currently, no subspecies is recognized for the black-headed tody-flycatcher. [1] The genus Poecilotriccus makes a monophyletic clade with Todirostrum that is considered basal to the other genera in the Tyrannidae family. [11]

Habitat and distribution

The black-headed tody-flycatcher is a non-migratory neotropical species found mainly in southern Central America and north-western South America. It is present in eastern Costa Rica, Panama, and north and western Colombia. It has also been recorded in far west Venezuela and western Ecuador. [1] Although it has been found at altitudes of 1500 m, this species does not extend its range into the Andes. Rather, it borders the mountains and is occasionally found in the valleys between the Colombian cordilleras. [2]

This flycatcher is a tree-dwelling species, that sticks to the canopy and edges of humid forests. It is highly selective in its habitat, choosing mostly the tallest trees. It has also been found in second-growth forests, where human disturbance has impacted the growth and species present. [2]

Behavior

Vocalizations

This species' call is a single high-pitched "peep". Its song is a series of 5 to 8 high-pitched "jyip" notes that are quickly repeated. They start evenly spaced and accelerate slightly at the end, increasing in pitch slightly. [2] It often calls repeatedly, which can be easily confused with their song. The chirps also sound insect-like.

Diet

The black-headed tody-flycatcher is insectivorous. It targets flowering trees to find its meals, looking for insects that flowers attract. [12] Its main diet includes various arthropods: such as beetles, flies, spiders, damselflies, ants, and parasitoid wasps. [12] [13] It forages alone, or sometimes in pairs, inside dense foliage and along canopy edges. [14]

To ensure access to food, tody-flycatchers have evolved diets consisting of mostly non-overlapping arthropod species. Each species focuses on a select group of insects to feed on and avoids insect species eaten by other tody-flycatchers. [15]

Reproduction

Black-headed tody flycatchers build nests using plant fibers and line them with down feathers. They often build their nests near wasp nests, assuring a nearby food source. [2] Both adults in the parental unit contribute to building the nest. [16] They thread plant material together into nests that hang from tree branches. [17] Nesting times vary by location, but nesting tends to occur between June and August and adults have been found in breeding conditions in February. [18] Clutches tend to be of a singular egg. [19] The egg is white with sparse yellow-brown spotting and rust ends. [18]

Occasionally, Piratic flycatchers (Legatus leucophaius) have usurped the black-headed tody-flycatchers' nests to use as their own. [17]

Conservation

The IUCN most recently assessed it in 2021 and classified it as "least concern". Though its population is declining, its wide distribution and high estimated population numbers do not qualify it for the "near-threatened" status. [1]

Related Research Articles

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The tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African paradise flycatcher</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-throated warbler</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boat-billed flycatcher</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great kiskadee</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streaked flycatcher</span> Species of bird

The streaked flycatcher is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common tody-flycatcher</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tufted tit-tyrant</span> Species of bird

The tufted tit-tyrant is a species of bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. This species is found in western South America; its range stretches from southern Colombia south along the Andes mountains to Tierra del Fuego. It prefers to live in upper montane forests and shrublands; however, it is a habitat generalist and can be found across a wide range of ecosystems. The tufted tit-tyrant has three subspecies, including the nominate subspecies Anairetes parulus parulus, A. p. aequatorialis, and A. p. patagonicus, and is very closely related to the Juan Fernández tit-tyrant. It is very small with a distinctive and conspicuous crest. The bird's head is black overall with white supraloral and postocular stripes. Its dull grayish-brown back contrasts with its white throat and breast that are covered with black streaks and pale, unmarked yellow underbelly. There are few noticeable differences in plumage between the subspecies. It is a vocal flycatcher with a broad repertoire of songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smoke-colored pewee</span> Species of bird

The smoke-colored pewee is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. The species is characterized by a uniform dusky-grey plumage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sierran elaenia</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-throated tyrannulet</span> Species of bird

The white-throated tyrannulet is a species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocos tyrannulet</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-backed tody-flycatcher</span> Species of bird

The black-backed tody-flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, and one of twelve in the genus Poecilotriccus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sooty tyrannulet</span> Species of bird

The sooty tyrannulet is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is small, usually weighing 9 grams with a length of 12 centimeters, and has gray or brownish-grey feathers with black tail feathers. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay; also southern Paraguay. A small extension of its range is in southeastern Bolivia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visayan babbler</span> Species of bird

The Visayan babbler also known as the Visayan Black-crowned Babbler. is a species of bird in the family Zosteropidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. It is found on Samar, Leyte and Bohol. Its natural habitat is tropical moist lowland forest. It was formerly conspecific to the northern population of the Calabarzon black-crowned babbler but has since been split as a species due to differences in its yellowish throat and whiter belly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-browed tody-flycatcher</span> Species of bird

The yellow-browed tody-flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found mainly in the southern Amazon Basin of Brazil, also Amazonian Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia; the species is recorded in Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical swamps, and heavily degraded former forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Painted tody-flycatcher</span> Species of bird

The painted tody-flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in the Guianas of French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname; also eastern-southeastern Venezuela and the northeastern states of Brazil of the Amazon Basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-lored tody-flycatcher</span> Species of bird

The yellow-lored tody-flycatcher or grey-headed tody-flycatcher is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is endemic to Brazil, occurring from Southern Bahia southwards to Santa Catarina. It measures an average of 8.8 centimeters and weighs an average of 6.8 grams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-crowned tyrannulet</span> Species of bird

The yellow-crowned tyrannulet is a species of bird in subfamily Elaeniinae of family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, and in every mainland South American country except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

The tody-flycatchers are several species of birds in the family Tyrannidae:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 BirdLife International (2021). "Todirostrum nigriceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22699035A138064558.en .
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Walther, Bruno (2020). "Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher (Todirostrum nigriceps), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.bhtfly1.01.
  3. ↑ Walther, Bruno (2020). "Common Tody-Flycatcher (Todirostrum cinereum), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.cotfly1.01.
  4. ↑ Walther, Bruno (2020). "Painted Tody-Flycatcher (Todirostrum pictum), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.patfly1.01.
  5. ↑ Schulenberg, Thomas S.; Kirwan, Guy M. (2020). "Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher (Todirostrum chrysocrotaphum), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.ybtfly1.01.
  6. 1 2 del Hoyo, J.; Collar, N.J.; Christie, D.A.; Elliott, A; Fishpool, L.D.C.; Boesman, P., P.; Kirwan, G.M. (2016). HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK. p. 374.
  7. ↑ Dickinson, Edward C.; Overstreet, Leslie K.; Dowsett, Robert J.; Bruce, Murray D., eds. (2011). Priority! the dating of scientific names in ornithology: a directory to the literature and its reviewers. Northampton: Aves Press. ISBN   978-0-9568611-1-5.
  8. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm dictionary of scientific bird names: from aalge to zusii. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  9. ↑ "Tyrant flycatchers – IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  10. ↑ "Catalog Record: Catalogue of the birds in the British Museum | HathiTrust Digital Library". catalog.hathitrust.org. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  11. ↑ Tello, Jose G (2004). Understanding neotropical diversification: Implications from phylogenetic patterns in two avian genera (Thesis). ProQuest   305066745.
  12. 1 2 Stiles, F.G.; Skutch, A.F.; Gardner, D. (1989). A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Ithica: Cornell University Press. p. 330. ISBN   9780801496004.
  13. ↑ Sherry, Thomas W. (September 1984). "Comparative Dietary Ecology of Sympatric, Insectivorous Neotropical Flycatchers (Tyrannidae)". Ecological Monographs. 54 (3): 313–338. doi:10.2307/1942500. JSTOR   1942500.
  14. ↑ Willis, Edwin O’Neill; Bencke, Glayson Ariel (September 2019). "Southeastern Brazilian tyrannulets as flower watchers". Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia. 27 (3): 158–163. doi: 10.1007/BF03544465 .
  15. ↑ Sherry, Thomas W; Kent, Cody M; Sánchez, Natalie V; Şekercioğlu, Çağan H (24 December 2020). "Insectivorous birds in the Neotropics: Ecological radiations, specialization, and coexistence in species-rich communities". The Auk. 137 (4). doi:10.1093/auk/ukaa049.
  16. ↑ Ferreira, Dalila de Fátima; Aquino, Marla Mendes de; Heming, Neander Marcel; Marini, Miguel Ângelo; Leite, Felipe Sá Fortes; Lopes, Leonardo Esteves (12 March 2019). "Breeding in the gray-headed tody-flycatcher (Aves: Tyrannidae) with comments on geographical variation in reproductive traits within the genus Todirostrum". Journal of Natural History. 53 (9–10): 595–610. doi:10.1080/00222933.2019.1599458.
  17. 1 2 Sandoval, Luis; Barrantes, Gilbert (2009). "Nest usurping occurrence of the Piratic Flycatcher (Legatus leucophaius) in southwestern Costa Rica". Ornitologia Neotropical. 20: 401–407.
  18. 1 2 Hilty, S.L.; Brown, W.L. (1986). A guide to the birds of Colombia. Princeton (NJ): Princeton University Press. p. 481.
  19. ↑ Solano-Ugalde, Alejandro; Greeney, Harold; Imaymana, Fundación (2007). "Additional breeding records for selected avian species in northwest Ecuador" (PDF). Boletín de la Sociedad Antioqueña de Ornitología. 17: 19–21.

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