La Sagra's Flycatcher
Encyclopedia
La Sagra's Flycatcher, Myiarchus sagrae, is a passerine
bird
in the tyrant flycatcher
family.
It breeds on Cuba
, the Bahamas and Grand Cayman
in the West Indies. It is normally a year round resident, however has been known as an occasional vagrant
to southern Florida
.
Its natural habitat
s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
s, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane
s, and heavily degraded former forest. The nest is built in a tree cavity or similar natural or man-made hole, and the normal clutch is two to four eggs.
Adult La Sagra's Flycatchers are 19-22 cm long and weigh 17-21 g
. The upperparts are olive brown, with a darker head and short crest. The breast is grey and the belly is a dull white. The brown tail feathers and wing
s have rufous outer webs, and there are two dull wing bars. The sexes are similar.
La Sagra's Flycatcher is separated from other confusingly similar Myiarchus species by its call, a high pitched single or double noted wink.
This species is primarily an insectivore
which catches its prey by flycatching amongst the undergrowth, but will also take berries and seeds.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
in the tyrant flycatcher
Tyrant flycatcher
The tyrant flycatchers are a family of passerine birds which occur throughout North and South America. They are considered the largest family of birds on Earth, with more than 400 species. They are the most diverse avian family in every country in the Americas, except for the United States and...
family.
It breeds on Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the Bahamas and Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the nation's capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles southwest of Cayman Brac.-Geography:Grand Cayman encompasses 76% of...
in the West Indies. It is normally a year round resident, however has been known as an occasional vagrant
Vagrancy (biology)
Vagrancy is a phenomenon in biology whereby individual animals appear well outside their normal range; individual animals which exhibit vagrancy are known as vagrants. The term accidental is sometimes also used...
to southern Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
s, and heavily degraded former forest. The nest is built in a tree cavity or similar natural or man-made hole, and the normal clutch is two to four eggs.
Adult La Sagra's Flycatchers are 19-22 cm long and weigh 17-21 g
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
. The upperparts are olive brown, with a darker head and short crest. The breast is grey and the belly is a dull white. The brown tail feathers and wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
s have rufous outer webs, and there are two dull wing bars. The sexes are similar.
La Sagra's Flycatcher is separated from other confusingly similar Myiarchus species by its call, a high pitched single or double noted wink.
This species is primarily an insectivore
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
which catches its prey by flycatching amongst the undergrowth, but will also take berries and seeds.