Black-crowned Tityra Tityra inquisitor Scientific name definitions

The Black-crowned Tityra is very widely distributed over much of Middle America and the northern two-thirds of South America east of the Andes. It is the only Tityra that lacks any red on the face and bill in males, whilst in contrast females can show the largest amount of red on the face of any of the three species in this genus. Males generally have the crown and tail both entirely black, although some subspecies may show a white tip to the tail. Some authors have considered the so-called White-tailed Tityra (Tityra leucura), described from south-central Amazonian Brazil in the mid-19th century, to be nothing more than an abnormal subadult of the present species, although evidence from a recent field observation, the first since the type specimen was collected, suggests that this hypothesis might need re-evaluation. Tityras were long placed in the Tyrannidae, but have recently been transferred to their own family, along with the becards (Pachyramphus), and assorted other species that were formerly placed in the Cotingidae.

16·5–20·5 cm; 33·8–70 g. Male nominate race has black crown, lores, ear-coverts and subocular area; upperparts mostly whitish grey, heavily tinged pearly grey; wings mostly black, tertials greyish white; primary p9 greatly reduced in length, outermost primary normal; tail entirely black; throat and underparts white; iris dark; maxilla bluish grey, mandible blackish; legs blackish. Female has buffy forehead, chestnut or rusty sides of head, black cap, duller and slightly darker grey back with dusky-brownish streaking and coarsely spotted blackish, dingy pale greyish-buff wash on throat and breast. Juvenile (fraserii) closely resembles female, but has black and cinnamon or chestnut mottling on crown, white nape with buff and dusky mottling, whitish and grey mottling on upperparts, buff-tinged wing-coverts and tertials mottled dusky, underparts tinged buff; immature plumage attained quickly, like female, but young male has white forehead, pale grey upperparts, crown sometimes mottled; adult plumage also acquired quickly. Races vary considerably in plumage, also generally larger in S: fraserii has white nape and cheeks, grading into pale greyish-white underparts, darker back, inner webs of primaries white basally (conspicuous patch in flight), female has more brownish (not grey) back and scapulars; albitorques is slightly smaller, also has white cheeks (and ear-coverts), has pale grey back, greyish underparts, and tail mostly white (black reduced to subterminal band c. 20 mm wide usually bordered terminally by white apical margins), female has pure white lower belly and undertail-coverts, and unspotted brownish-washed back (variable); erythrogenys is generally similar to nominate, but smaller, with less white on hindneck, only extreme base of tail white with no white apical margin, female has grey back without brownish suffusion and more or less spotted with black (significant individual variation) and white throat or breast with slight greyish tinge; buckleyi has white cheeks and ear-coverts, predominantly black tail with white only at extreme base of rectrices (except an Ecuador specimen which has small but prominent white apical spots on three outer rectrices and more white at base of outer web of penultimate rectrix); pelzelni has head pattern like nominate (some specimens from lower Amazon have white streaks on ear-coverts), tail mostly white (especially birds from lower Amazon) but considerable individual variation in extent of white at base of rectrices and white apical margin (at least in Bolivia and Mato Grosso).

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Humid to semi-humid tall forest canopy and mature second growth along borders, clearings with scattered tall trees near continuous forest, river edges, and plantations; also várzea. Mostly below 1200 m, and generally below 1000 m over much of South America.

No significant movements known, although it has been suggested that the species is only a winter visitor to the Pacific slope in the state of Oaxaca (SW Mexico) (1 Binford, L. C. (1989). A Distributional Survey of the Birds of the Mexican State of Oaxaca. Ornithological Monographs 43. American Ornithologists’ Union. Washington, DC, USA. Close ).

Largely frugivorous, but also captures much invertebrate prey, primarily to feed offspring; few specifics of diet published, but observed taking fruits of Bursera simaruba (Burseraceae) in Mexico (2 Foster, M. S. (2007) The potential of fruit trees to enhance converted habitats for migrating birds in southern Mexico. Bird Conservation International 17: 45–61. Close ). Observed singly, in pairs, or in small (presumably family) groups. Fairly antisocial, sometimes aggressive towards other birds, and almost never associates with mixed-species foraging flocks, although has been observed within same flock as both T. semifasciata and T. cayana in NE Argentina (3 Bodrati, A., Roesler, I., Areta, J.I., Pagano, L.G., Jordan, E.A. and Juhant, M. (2008). Tres especies del género Tityra en Argentina. El Hornero. 23(1): 45–49. Close ). Generally perches conspicuously on a bare branch at middle to upper levels, but regularly lower, and sometimes for long periods. Scans foliage intently, looking for large insects and caterpillars, which it takes by quick upward strikes to vegetation; occasionally perch-gleans or hover-gleans insects and relatively large fruits.

Usually rather quiet. Typical calls a husky grunting or dry guttural, somewhat strident, frog-like and variable “sheh-shehk”, “squik” or “zick-zick-zick”, and a series of low, weak, and nasal “chet-chut, chaa-cherp” notes, often given as two notes in a series; call also described as an odd-sounding nasal grunting with buzzy quality, “uurnt” or “uurnt-uurnt”; on addition, gives strange thin “corre corre” call. Vocalizations similar to, but considered generally weaker than, those of other Tityra.

Birds in breeding condition in mid May in Guatemala (4 Smithe, F. B., and R. A. Paynter (1963). Birds of Tikal, Guatemala. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 128(5):245–324. Close ); nestlings in Mar–Jun in Costa Rica; nestbuilding in Mar–Apr in E Panama (5 Wetmore, A. (1972). The Birds of the Republic of Panamá. Volume 3. Passeriformes: Dendrocolaptidae (Woodcreepers) to Oxyruncidae (Sharpbills). Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 150(3). Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA. Close ); males in breeding condition in May (S César) and Jul (Norte de Santander) in Colombia; breeding behaviour in May–Aug in Venezuela (SW Guárico, with female specimen from Sucre with brood patch in Nov); nestbuilding Jan, with nesting cycle continuing until Apr in NW Ecuador (6 Cisneros-Heredia, D. F. (2006). Notes on breeding, behaviour and distribution of some birds in Ecuador. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 126(2):153–164. Close ); nests in Nov and Dec in S Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) (7 Belton, W. (1985). Birds of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Part 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 180:1–241. Close ); nest in Oct and one being built in Nov in Argentina. Nest in old woodpecker (Picidae) hole or similar cavity at middle to upper level (generally c. 8–30 m) in dead or live tree, cavity usually partially filled and lined with dead leaves, small twigs and various other plant matter (e.g. flower stalks), at one Brazilian nest, this was brought only by female (7 Belton, W. (1985). Birds of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Part 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 180:1–241. Close ), but in Panama both sexes have been observed carrying material (5 Wetmore, A. (1972). The Birds of the Republic of Panamá. Volume 3. Passeriformes: Dendrocolaptidae (Woodcreepers) to Oxyruncidae (Sharpbills). Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 150(3). Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., USA. Close ); sometimes in same tree as T. semifasciata (Costa Rica). Clutch size uncertain, probably three eggs (apparently undescribed); incubation by female, period thought to be c. 18–21 days; chicks fed by both sexes, nestling period c. 20–30 days.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Uncommon to locally fairly common. Apparently more abundant in S part of range; uncommon in NE Brazil (8 Roda, S.A. and Carlos, C.J. (2003). New records for some poorly known birds of the Atlantic Forest in north-east Brazil. Cotinga. 20: 17–20. Close ). In N Mexico, recent records in Hidalgo (Aug 2011) (9 Valencia-Herverth, R., Valencia-Herverth, J., Padilla, R., Olivares, M., Hernández, R. and Olivares, M. (2012). Información adicional sobre la avifauna de Hidalgo, México. Huitzil 13(2): 95–103. (In Spanish with English summary.). Close ) and Tamaulipas (Mar 2000) (10 Gómez de Silva, H. (2002). New distributional and temporal records of Mexican birds. Cotinga. 18: 89–92. Close ). Has a large range (estimated at 18,100,000 km²), within which much of its habitat remains relatively undisturbed. Occurs in numerous national parks and other protected areas.