Tropical Royal Flycatcher Onychorhynchus coronatus Scientific name definitions

The Tropical Royal Flycatcher is very widespread, with a distribution that extends from southern Mexico to northern Bolivia. Throughout this huge range, this species generally inhabits the lower levels of humid evergreen or deciduous forests, although it also ranges into mature second growth, and edges. Tropical Royal Flycatcher exhibits notable geographic variation across this range, and some authors recognize as many as four species of royal flycatcher: a northern species that occurs from Mexico to northern Colombia and northern Venezuela; a Pacific species (occidentalis) that is restricted to southwestern Ecuador and adjacent Peru; an Amazonian species that is widespread in northern and central South America east of the Andes; and an Atlantic Forest species (swainsoni) that is confined to southeastern Brazil; here only the last-named population is separated at species level, as Atlantic Royal Flycatcher (Onychorhynchus swainsoni). Along with the latter, the subspecies occidentalis of the present species is potentially at risk of extinction. All of these taxa share a relatively long bill and tail; the plumage is mostly brown, with a rufous or ochraceous tail. The most notable feature, however, is the long ornate crest, which is red to orange (paler in females), with black and blue spotting. This crest usually is held recumbent, giving the flycatcher a distinctive “hammerhead” appearance. When fully erect, however, the crest is flared laterally; these birds are well known for fanning the crest when held in the hand, while rhythmically swaying the head from side to side, but is very rare to observe this behavior in the field. The nest of Tropical Royal Flycatcher is a very long, sack-like structure suspended from a slender branch or vine, and frequently is placed over a stream (or a small clearing) in the forest.