Brown-crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus tyrannulus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyTyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
- GenusMyiarchus (Myiarchus Flycatchers)
- SpeciesMyiarchus tyrannulus (Brown-crested Flycatcher)
About the Brown-crested Flycatcher
The brown-crested flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus) is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is found from the southwestern United States south through Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica; on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Trinidad, and Tobago; and in every mainland South American country except Chile and possibly Ecuador.
The brown-crested flycatcher has a complicated taxonomic history. Its formal description is credited to Statius Müller in his 1776 supplement to earlier work by Carl Linnaeus and Martinus Houttuyn. He coined the binomial Muscicapa tyrannulus, placing it in the Old World flycatcher family.
As of 2025 the brown-crested flycatcher has these seven subspecies: M. t. magister Ridgway, 1884 M. t. cooperi Baird, SF, 1858 M. t. cozumelae Parkes, 1982 M. t. insularum Bond, J, 1936 M. t. brachyurus Ridgway, 1887 M. t. tyrannulus (Statius Müller, 1776)
M. t. bahiae Berlepsch & Leverkühn, 1890 Subspecies M. t. magister was originally named M. mexicanus magister. Subspecies M. t. cooperi and M. t. brachyurus were both originally described as full species in genus Myiarchus. M. t. bahiae was originally named M. t. chlorepiscius... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Myiarchus tuberculifer
Great Crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
Yucatán Flycatcher
Myiarchus yucatanensis
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Yellow-olive Flycatcher
Tolmomyias sulphurescens
Eye-ringed Flatbill
Rhynchocyclus brevirostris
Bright-rumped Attila
Attila spadiceus
Northern Bentbill
Oncostoma cinereigulare
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Royal Flycatcher
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Stub-tailed Spadebill
Platyrinchus cancrominus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Brown-crested Flycatcher in Tikal National Park?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-crested Flycatcher sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 629 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Brown-crested Flycatcher in Tikal National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Brown-crested Flycatcher in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.