Piratic flycatcher

Piratic flycatcher
Legatus leucophaius - Piratic Flycatcher
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Tyrannidae
Genus:	Legatus P.L. Sclater, 1859
Species:	L. leucophaius
Binomial name
Legatus leucophaius (Vieillot, 1818)
Breeding   Year-round

The piratic flycatcher (Legatus leucophaius) is a passerine bird, the only member of the genus Legatus. It is a resident breeder from southern Mexico and Trinidad south to Bolivia and Argentina. At least some birds from Central America and Trinidad are migratory, and this species also visits Tobago.

This tyrant flycatcher is found in savannah and other semi-open habitat with large trees. It gets its name because it does not build its own nest, but appropriates the domed or enclosed nests of other, often far larger, bird species, such as yellow-rumped cacique or crested oropendola. Once the persistence of the flycatchers has driven the rightful owners away, their eggs are removed, and the female flycatcher lays up to four, but usually two, black-streaked brown eggs. She incubates these on her own for 16 days to hatching, with a further 18–20 days to fledging.

Description

The adult piratic flycatcher is 15 cm long and weighs 23 g. The upperparts are unstreaked plain brown, although the flight feathers have narrow white edges. The head has a long whitish supercilium, a concealed yellow crown stripe, and a dusky mask through the eyes. The throat is white, and there is a white malar stripe. The underparts are whitish with touches of light yellow, besides blurred brownish streaking on the breast and flanks. The dark bill is short and broad.

The call is an upslurred weeEEE given from a high perch for long periods of the day, or sometimes a monotonous weep weep weep.

Piratic flycatchers wait on an exposed perch high in a tree, occasionally sallying out to feed on fruit (such as berries),^[2] their staple diet, as well as the catkins of Cecropia and insects (such as dragonflies).^[3] The young are fed on insects.

References

Further reading

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Genera of passerines and their extinct allies

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Aves
• Clade: Psittacopasseres
• Order: Passeriformes

Passeriformes
incertae sedis †Corvitalusoides †Jamna †Resoviaornis †Wieslochia †Winnicavis †Yunnanus Acanthisitti Acanthisittidae Acanthisitta †Dendroscansor †Kuiornis †Pachyplichas †Traversia Xenicus Eupasseres Tyranni †Crosnoornis Eurylaimides Calyptomenidae Calyptomena Smithornis Eurylaimidae Corydon Cymbirhynchus Eurylaimus Psarisomus Pseudocalyptomena Sarcophanops Serilophus Philepittidae Neodrepanis Philepitta Pittidae Erythropitta Hydrornis Pitta Sapayoidae Sapayoa Tyranni See below ↓ Passeri See below ↓

Tyranni

Conopophagidae Cephalopterus Conopophaga Pittasoma Cotingidae Ampelioides Ampelion Carpodectes Carpornis Conioptilon Cotinga Doliornis Gymnoderus Haematoderus Lipaugus Querula Perissocephalus Phibalura Phoenicircus Phytotoma Pipreola Porphyrolaema Procnias Pyroderus Rupicola Snowornis Xipholena Zaratornis Formicariidae Chamaeza Formicarius Furnariidae Berlepschia †Pseudoseisuropsis Sclerurinae Geositta Sclerurus Dendrocolaptinae Dendrocolaptini Campylorhamphus Dendrexetastes Dendrocolaptes Dendroplex Drymornis Drymotoxeres Glyphorynchus Hylexetastes Lepidocolaptes Nasica Xiphocolaptes Xiphorhynchus Sittasomini Certhiasomus Dendrocincla Deconychura Sittasomus Furnariinae Xenops Pygarrhichini Microxenops Ochetorhynchus Pygarrhichas Furnariini Cinclodes Furnarius Geocerthia Limnornis Lochmias Phleocryptes Premnornis Pseudocolaptes Tarphonomus Upucerthia Philydorini Anabacerthia Anabazenops Ancistrops Automolus Cichlocolaptes Clibanornis Dendroma Heliobletus Megaxenops Philydor Syndactyla Thripadectes Synallaxini Acrobatornis Anumbius Aphrastura Asthenes Certhiaxis Coryphistera Cranioleuca Hellmayrea Leptasthenura Limnoctites Margarornis Mazaria Metopothrix Phacellodomus Premnoplex Pseudasthenes Pseudoseisura Roraimia Schoeniophylax Siptornis Spartonoica Sylviorthorhynchus Synallaxis Thripophaga Xenerpestes Grallariidae Cryptopezus Grallaria Grallaricula Hylopezus Myrmothera Melanopareiidae Melanopareia Pipridae Ceratopipra Chiroxiphia Chloropipo Corapipo Cryptopipo Heterocercus Ilicura Lepidothrix Machaeropterus Manacus Masius Neopelma Pipra Pseudopipra Tyranneutes Xenopipo Rhinocryptidae Acropternis Eleoscytalopus Eugralla Liosceles Merulaxis Myornis Psilorhamphus Pteroptochos Rhinocrypta Scelorchilus Scytalopus Teledromas Thamnophilidae Euchrepomidinae Euchrepomis Myrmornithinae Myrmornis Pygiptila Thamnistes Thamnophilinae Formicivorini Formicivora Myrmochanes Myrmotherula Terenura Microrhopiini Ammonastes Aprositornis Clytoctantes Epinecrophylla Microrhopias Myrmophylax Myrmorchilus Neoctantes Pithyini Cercomacra Cercomacroides Drymophila Gymnopithys Hypocnemis Oneillornis Phaenostictus Phlegopsis Pithys Rhegmatorhina Sciaphylax Willisornis Pyriglenini Akletos Ampelornis Gymnocichla Hafferia Hylophylax Hypocnemoides Myrmeciza Myrmelastes Myrmoborus Myrmoderus Percnostola Poliocrania Pyriglena Rhopornis Sclateria Sipia Thamnophilini Batara Biatas Cymbilaimus Dichrozona Dysithamnus Frederickena Herpsilochmus Hypoedaleus Isleria Mackenziaena Megastictus Radinopsyche Rhopias Sakesphoroides Sakesphorus Taraba Thamnomanes Thamnophilus Xenornis Tityridae Iodopleura Laniisoma Laniocera Myiobius Onychorhynchus Oxyruncus Pachyramphus Schiffornis Terenotriccus Tityra Xenopsaris Tyrannidae Agriornis Alectrurus Anairetes Aphanotriccus Arundinicola Atalotriccus Attila Calyptura Camptostoma Capsiempis Casiornis Cnemarchus Cnemotriccus Cnipodectes Colonia Colorhamphus Conopias Contopus Corythopis Culicivora Elaenia Empidonax Empidonomus Euscarthmus Fluvicola Griseotyrannus Gubernetes Guyramemua Hemitriccus Heteroxolmis Hirundinea Hymenops Inezia Knipolegus Lathrotriccus Legatus Lessonia Leptopogon Lophotriccus Machetornis Mecocerculus Megarynchus Mionectes Mitrephanes Muscigralla Muscipipra Muscisaxicola Myiarchus Myiodynastes Myiopagis Myiophobus Myiornis Myiotheretes Myiotriccus Myiozetetes Nengetus Neopipo Neoxolmis Nephelomyias Nesotriccus Ochthoeca Ochthornis Oncostoma Ornithion Phelpsia Philohydor Phyllomyias Phylloscartes Piprites Pitangus Platyrinchus Poecilotriccus Pogonotriccus Polystictus Pseudelaenia Pseudocolopteryx Pseudotriccus Pyrocephalus Pyrope Pyrrhomyias Ramphotrigon Rhynchocyclus Rhytipterna Satrapa Sayornis Serpophaga Silvicultrix Sirystes Stigmatura Sublegatus Suiriri Syrtidicola Tachuris Taeniotriccus Todirostrum Tolmomyias Tumbezia Tyrannopsis Tyrannulus Tyrannus Uromyias Xenotriccus Xolmis Zimmerius

Passeri

Acanthizidae Acanthiza Acanthornis Aethomyias Aphelocephala Calamanthus Gerygone Hylacola Neosericornis Oreoscopus Origma Pachycare Pycnoptilus Pyrrholaemus Sericornis Smicrornis Atrichornithidae Atrichornis Callaeidae Callaeas †Heteralocha Philesturnus Climacteridae Climacteris Cormobates Cnemophilidae Cnemophilus Loboparadisea Dasyornithidae Dasyornis Maluridae Amytornithinae Amytornis Malurinae Malurini Chenorhamphus Clytomyias Malurus Sipodotus Stipiturini Stipiturus Melanocharitidae Melanocharis Oedistoma Rhamphocharis Toxorhamphus Meliphagidae Acanthagenys Acanthorhynchus Anthochaera Anthornis Ashbyia Bolemoreus Caligavis Certhionyx Cissomela Conopophila Entomyzon Epthianura Foulehaio Gavicalis Gliciphila Glycichaera Glycifohia Grantiella Guadalcanaria Gymnomyza Lichenostomus Lichmera Macgregoria Manorina Meliarchus Melidectes Melilestes Melionyx Meliphacator Meliphaga Melipotes Melithreptus Melitograis Microptilotis Myza Myzomela Nesoptilotis Oreornis Plectorhyncha Philemon Phylidonyris Ptiloprora Ptilotula Prosthemadera Purnella Pycnopygius Ramsayornis Stomiopera Stresemannia Sugomel Territornis Timeliopsis Trichodere Vosea Xanthotis Menuridae Menura Notiomystidae Notiomystis Orthonychidae Orthonyx †Palaeoscinidae Palaeoscinis Pardalotidae Pardalotus Pomatostomidae Garritornis Pomatostomus Ptilonorhynchidae Ailuroedus Amblyornis Archboldia Chlamydera Prionodura Ptilonorhynchus Scenopoeetes †Sericuloides Sericulus Corvides See Corvides Passerida See Passerida