Boat-billed Flycatcher
Megarynchus pitangua
Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
- GenusMegarynchus
- SpeciesMegarynchus pitangua (Boat-billed Flycatcher)
About the Boat-billed Flycatcher
The boat-billed flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua) is a large member of the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Mexico, in every Central American country, on Trinidad, and in every mainland South American country though only as a vagrant in Chile.
The boat-billed flycatcher was originally described as Lanius pitangua, mistakenly placing it in the shrike family. It was eventually moved to its present genus Megarynchus that was erected in 1824. That name is from the Greek "μεγα" (mega) meaning "much" and "ῥυγχος" (rhunkhos) meaning "bill". The specific epithet derives from the Tupi language name for the bird, "Pitanguá guacú".
The boat-billed flycatcher is the only member of its genus and has these six subspecies: M. p. tardiusculus Moore, RT, 1941 M. p. caniceps Ridgway, 1906 M. p. mexicanus (Lafresnaye, 1851) M. p. deserticola Griscom, 1930 M. p. pitangua (Linnaeus, 1766)
M. p. chrysogaster Sclater, PL, 1860 There are differences among the subspecies' vocalizations, leading some authors to state that "critical re-evaluation of [the] races is needed". The Clements taxonomy recognizes some distinctions within the species by calling... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Boat-billed Flycatcher in Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Caribbean Elaenia
Elaenia martinica
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Elaenia flavogaster
Brown-crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus tyrannulus
Couch's Kingbird
Tyrannus couchii
Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
Camptostoma imberbe
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Contopus virens
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Myiarchus tuberculifer
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.