Social flycatcher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Social flycatcher |
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| M. s. texensis, Guatemala | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Myiozetetes
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| Species: |
similis
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| Synonyms | |
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Muscicapa similis (protonym) Myiozetetes texensis (see text) |
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The social flycatcher (Myiozetetes similis) is a type of bird known as a passerine. It lives in the Americas and belongs to the large tyrant flycatcher family.
Sometimes, scientists divide this bird into two different species. One is called the social flycatcher (Myiozetetes texensis), found from Costa Rica north to Mexico. The other is the vermilion-crowned flycatcher (M. similis proper), which lives from southwest Costa Rica all the way across South America.
Contents
What Does the Social Flycatcher Look Like?
The social flycatcher looks a bit like a smaller version of the boat-billed flycatcher or the great kiskadee. An adult bird is about 16 to 18 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) long. It weighs around 24 to 27 grams (less than an ounce).
Its head is dark grey with a bright white stripe over its eye. It also has a hidden orange or red stripe on its head, like a secret crown! The bird's back is olive-brown. Its wings and tail are brown with a slight reddish-brown edge. Its belly is yellow, and its throat is white.
Young social flycatchers have a lighter eye stripe. Their hidden head stripe is also smaller. They have reddish-brown edges on their wing and tail feathers. The social flycatcher makes a sharp peeurrr sound. Its morning song sounds like chips-k’-cheery.
The scientific name similis means "the similar one" in Latin. This name was chosen because the social flycatcher looks very much like its close relative, the rusty-margined flycatcher. It also looks like several other birds, such as the white-bearded flycatcher and the white-ringed flycatcher. From far away, these birds can be hard to tell apart.
Where Do Social Flycatchers Live?
Social flycatchers build their nests in places like farms with trees, open woodlands, and areas with some trees. They live from northwestern Mexico south to northeastern Peru, southern Brazil, and northwestern Argentina. This bird is very common and found in many places. Because of this, it is not considered an endangered species.
These birds like to sit openly on tree branches, several meters above the ground. From these high spots, they will fly out quickly to catch insects in the air. They use many amazing flying moves to do this. They also hover in the air and pick up prey from leaves or branches.
Social flycatchers also eat small berries, like those from the gumbo-limbo tree. They look for these trees even in places changed by people, like city parks and gardens. They will also pick up food from the ground. Sometimes, they even go into shallow water to eat water insects, tadpoles, and small fish.
Scientists have seen them peacefully looking for food next to common marmosets. They might even work with the monkeys to find hidden prey. This behavior might happen more during the dry season when fruits are harder to find. Social flycatchers do not often join large groups of different bird species looking for food.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
The female social flycatcher builds the nest. It is a large, covered structure made of stems and straw. For protection, the nest is often built near a wasp, bee, or ant nest. Sometimes, they build their nests near the nest of another tyrant flycatcher. The nest is often close to or over water.
A female social flycatcher usually lays two to four eggs. The eggs are cream or white with brown or lilac spots. They are laid between February and June.
Images for kids
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M. s. texensis
Belize -
M. s. columbianus
Corcovado, Costa Rica -
M. s. columbianus
Darién National Park, Panama -
M. s. pallidiventris
Brazil
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