Brown-crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus tyrannulus

Brown-crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus tyrannulus magister. Photograph taken within a residential community in Alamos, Sonora, April 2018. Photograph and identification courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.

Brown-crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus tyrannulus magister.  Photograph taken within a residential community in Hereford, Arizona, May 2013. Photograph and identification courtesy of Karen LeMay, Sierra Vista, Arizona (naturewideimages.com).

Introduction and Identification

The Brown-crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus tyrannulus magister, is one of seven subspecies of Brown-crested Flycatcher, two of which are found in Mexico. They are a member of the Tyrannidae Family of Tyrant Flycatchers, which has four hundred twenty-five global members placed in one hundred and one genera, and one of twenty-two global species of the Myiarchus Genus. The Brown-crested Flycatcher has been poorly studied and very little about their biology and behavioral patterns has been documented. They have a life span of ten years and are known in Mexico as Copetón Tiranillo.

The Brown-crested Flycatcher is relatively large in stature for a species of this family, averaging 18 cm (7.1 inches) 23 cm (9.8 inches) in length. Their underparts are a drab brownish gray to olive gray, their face and side of their neck are grey, and their throat and breasts are pale gray that abruptly transitions to a yellow belly and undertail-coverts. Their wings are dark grey-brown with two pale bars, pale-edged secondaries, and rufous-edged primaries. Their tail is dark grey-brown with rufous tinges. Their bill, legs, and feet are black. Their iris is brown. They have large heads with a short bushy crest, a long, thick, wide bill with a slight hook, and a long body. The sexes are similar, which is called sexual monomorphism. The females are slightly smaller than the males.

Habitat and Geographical Range

The Brown-crested Flycatcher is found within forest edges and lowland riparian, thorn, second-growth, and columnar-cactus woodlands. The populations from Northern Mexico are migratory wintering in Southern Mexico and Central America; the populations from Southern Mexico are non-migratory. They are found at elevations up to 2,000 m (6,600 feet). They forage primarily on arthropods found in the foliage with their diets supplemented with small vertebrates and fruits. They are generally shy reside within the canopy, and are relatively secretive. They nest in large trees and cacti in woodpecker holes or natural cavities where they become vocally conspicuous.

The Brown-crested Flycatcher is a permanent resident of Mexico and is found in coastal regions within the Atlantic and Pacific Slopes. The magister, the largest of the subspecies, is found in Western Mexico from within the Pacific Slope of Chihuahua, Durango, Guerrero, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Sonora, Sinaloa and Zacatecas.

Common Misidentifications

Brown-crested Flycatchers can be easily confused with other members of the Myiarchus genus, which have similar sizes and plumages. One common look-alike is the Ash-throated Flycatcher, Myiarchus cinerascens, which shares similar habitats and overlapping ranges. However, the Ash-throated Flycatcher typically has a paler belly, a smaller bill, and less rufous coloring on the tail and wings compared to the Brown-crested Flycatcher.

Conservation Status

From a conservation perspective the Brown-crested Flycatcher is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. However, their native habitat of lowland riparian areas has suffered massive destruction, and alternations from flood control and water diversion efforts, clearing for agriculture, and human housing developments are of concern. The California Department of Fish and Game currently lists the Brown-crested Flycatcher to be of Special Concern.