Apical flycatcher

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.

Apical flycatcher
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Tyrannidae
Genus:	Myiarchus
Species:	M. apicalis
Binomial name
Myiarchus apicalis Sclater, PL & Salvin, 1881

Taxonomy

The species was first described in 1881 by the English zoologist Philip Sclater.^[2] 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.^[3] The species is monotypic, having no recognized subspecies.^[4]

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.^[5]

Males and females are identical in appearance. Juveniles have rufous fringes to their wing feathers.^[5]

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.^[5][6][7] 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.^[5]

Songs and calls Listen to the Apical flycatcher on xeno-canto