Royal Flycatcher
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
- GenusOnychorhynchus (Royal Flycatchers)
- SpeciesOnychorhynchus coronatus (Royal Flycatcher)
About the Royal Flycatcher
The tropical royal flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus) is a passerine bird that most taxonomic systems place in family Onychorhynchidae. It is found in Mexico, south through most of Central America, and in every mainland South American country except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The tropical royal flycatcher was formally described in 1776 by the German zoologist Philipp Statius Müller under the binomial name Muscicapa coronata. Müller based his account on a hand-colored illustration of the "Tyran hupé de Cayenne" that had been engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet. The specific epithet is from Latin coronatus meaning "crowned". The tropical royal flycatcher is now placed together with Atlantic royal flycatcher in the genus Onychorhynchus that was introduced in 1810 by the German naturalist Gotthelf Fischer von Waldheim.
After a complicated history (which see here), the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) and the Clements taxonomy placed the tropical royal flycatcher and the Atlantic royal flycatcher (O. swainsoni) in family Onychorhynchidae.
However, the tropical royal flycatcher's taxonomy remains unsettled. The North and South American Classification... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Royal Flycatcher in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Couch's Kingbird
Tyrannus couchii
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Megarynchus pitangua
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Myiarchus tuberculifer
Southern Tropical Pewee
Contopus cinereus
Yellow-olive Flycatcher
Tolmomyias sulphurescens
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Elaenia flavogaster
Eye-ringed Flatbill
Rhynchocyclus brevirostris
Bright-rumped Attila
Attila spadiceus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Royal Flycatcher in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Royal Flycatcher sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, based on 156 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Royal Flycatcher in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
June has the highest sighting rate for Royal Flycatcher in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.