- Pyrocephalus rubinus
Identification
L. 14 cm (5½ in)
Strongly sexually dimorphic. Male is unmistakable.
Male: Bright red underparts and cap, dark brownish wings, tail and mask.
Female: Dull brownish or greyish upperparts, dark streaked whitish underparts
Some subspecies have pinkish or yellow flanks and/or crissum
Immature: Resembles female
Subspecies: Females from Galápagos have virtually unstreaked, yellow underparts.
Both sexes of race obscurus (from coastal Peru) also occur in a uniformly dark brown morph.
Similar Species
Females and immatures are potentially confusing, but can be separated from most other superficially similar species (e.g. Bran-colored Flycatcher) by the faint or complete lack of wing-bars.
Distribution
It is widespread and generally common in most of central and northern South America, Central America, Mexico and southwestern United States.
Typically resident, but a large proportion of the population from the southernmost part of its range migrate north to spend the Austral winter in central South America. Additionally, most of the population in USA migrate south to spend the winter in Central America.
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
Around 13 subspecies are generally recognised:
Rubinus Group
- P. r. flammeus: Arid south-western US to Baja California and north-western Mexico (Nayarit)
- P. r. mexicanus: Arid south-western Texas to Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz
- P. r. blatteus: South-eastern Mexico (southern Veracruz) to Guatemala and Honduras
- P. r. pinicola: Lowland pine savanna of north-eastern Nicaragua
- P. r. saturatus: North-eastern Colombia to northern Venezuela, Guyana and northern Brazil
- P. r. piurae: Colombia (west of Eastern Andes) to westelrn Ecuador and north-western Peru
- P. r. ardens: Northern Peru (Cajamarca, Amazonas and extreme eastern Piura)
- P. r. obscurus: Western Peru (Lima)
- P. r. cocachacrae: South-western Peru (Ica to Tacna) and adjacent northern Chile
- P. r. major: South-eastern Peru (Cuzco and Puno)
- P. r. rubinus: Extreme south-eastern Brazil to south-eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, north-eastern Argentina
Galapagos Group
- P. r. nanus: Galapagos Islands (except Chatham Island)
- P. r. dubius: Chatham Island (Galapagos Islands)
It has been suggested that the two Galápagos races, nanus and dubius, should be considered one or two separate species.
Habitat
Occurs in a wide range of open or semi-open habitats, including savanna, forest-edge, woodland, scrub, areas with scattered trees. Also in rural zones and city parks or gardens.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on small insects and spiders. It perches on an open branch, waiting for the prey. After locating it, the flycatcher pursues and captures it in flight.
Breeding
The courtship display of the male involves singing, raising its crest, fluffing its breast-feathers and, sometimes, delivering a butterfly or showy insect to the female to initiate copulation.
Breeding is seasonal, but timing varies depending on region. The nest is an open cup loosely constructed by moss, grass, twigs and spiderwebs. The 2-3 eggs are incubated entirely by the female, but both sexes feed the chicks.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Vermilion Flycatcher. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 12 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Vermilion_Flycatcher
