Family Tyrant-flycatchers (Tyrannidae)
Least Concern
La Sagra's Flycatcher (Myiarchus sagrae)
Taxonomy
French: Tyran de La Sagra German: Kubaschopftyrann Spanish: Copetón de De La Sagra
Taxonomy:
Muscicapa Sagræ
Gundlach
, 1852,Cuba
.
Subspecies and Distribution
M. s. lucaysiensis
(H. Bryant, 1867) – Bahamas (mainly Abaco, Andros, Grand Bahama, Green Cay, Inagua, New Providence).
M. s. sagrae
(Gundlach, 1852) – Cuba, I of Pines and Grand Cayman I.
Descriptive notes
19–22 cm; 14–29 g (nominate), 22–22·3 g (lucaysiensis). Has unusual leaning posture and flat-headed appearance. Nominate race has crown... read more
Voice
No unmodulated, prolonged whistle in vocal repertoire. Nominate race song “weeet-ze-weer”, call “... read more
Habitat
Pine (Pinus) woodland, scrub, evergreen forest, mixed woodland, dense thickets, mangroves... read more
Food and feeding
Caterpillars, katydids (Tettigoniidae), other insects; also fruits and seeds. Typically, forages in understorey, mainly by snatching prey... read more
Breeding
Breeds Apr–Jul. Nest a cup of hair, feathers, plant fibres and other soft materials, in cavity of trunk, broken tree limb or bamboo... read more
Movements
Resident. Some wandering or dispersive movement; since early 1980s, race lucaysiensis... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Common in most of range; uncommon in S Bahamas. Susceptible, at least on smaller islands, to natural and anthropogenic habitat loss,... read more
Has been considered conspecific with M. stolidus, and genetic differentiation negligible#R; but vocally the two are distinctive, with differences in length and frequency range of primary daytime call#R. Phylogenetic analysis of mtDNA found nominate race to be more closely related to nominate race of M. stolidus, with race dominicensis of latter as sister to race lucaysiensis of present species; interestingly, dawn song of nominate M. stolidus is similar to that of both races of present species. Two subspecies recognized.