Apical flycatcher
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The apical flycatcher (Myiarchus apicalis) is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is endemic to Colombia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and arid and semi-arid open areas.
Taxonomy
The species was first described in 1881 by the English zoologist Philip Sclater.[1] The genus name derives the Ancient Greek muia - fly, and arkhos - ruler or chief. The species name comes from the Latin apical - of the point or tip - in reference to the white tips of the bird's tail feathers.[2] The species is monotypic, having no recognized subspecies.[3]
Description
The apical flycatcher is a typical representative of the Myiarchus flycatchers: a slim, medium-sized bird with few really distinctive features. The bird is 18-19cm in length, with greyish-olive upperparts. The wings are dusky, with whitish fringes to the tertials and coverts showing as two faint wing bars. The crown of the head is brownish-olive. The bird's throat and breast are pale grey. The underparts are mainly pale yellow. The tail is dusky with a greyish-olive underside. The tips of the tail feathers are white, which is diagnostic when compared to other Myiarchus flycatchers in its range.[4]
Males and females are identical in appearance. Juveniles have rufous fringes to their wing feathers.[4]
Distribution and habitat
The apical flycatcher is found in the tropical and temperate zones of Colombia at lower altitudes - from 400m and upwards. Authorities differ on the upper limit of their range, providing numbers between 1700-2500m.[4][5][6] The species is locally frequent in dry forest, arid and semi-arid open areas, savannas, and fields with scattered trees or light woodland, in the upper basins of the Magdalena River, the Cauca River and the Patiá and Dagua Rivers.[4]
References
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