The sulphury flycatcher (Tyrannopsis sulphurea) is a passerine bird which is a localised resident breeder from Trinidad, the Guianas and Venezuela south to Amazonian Peru, northern Bolivia and Brazil.
| Sulphury flycatcher | |
|---|---|
 | |
| at Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Tyrannidae |
| Genus: | Tyrannopsis Ridgway, 1905 |
| Species: | T. sulphurea |
| Binomial name | |
| Tyrannopsis sulphurea (Spix, 1825) | |
 | |
This large tyrant flycatcher is found in savannah habitat with moriche palms. The nest is an open cup of sticks in the crown of a moriche palm, and the typical clutch is two cream-coloured eggs blotched with brown.
The adult sulphury flycatcher is 20.3 cm long and weighs 54g. The head and neck are dark grey, and there is a concealed yellow crown stripe. The upperparts are olive, and the wings and tail are brown. The underparts are yellow with a greenish tint to the upper breast and a white throat. The black bill is short and broad.
This species resembles the tropical kingbird, but is shorter, stockier, and has a shorter bill. The call is a loud squealing jweeez, quite different from the kingbird's twittering.
Sulphury flycatchers wait on an exposed perch high in a palm and sally out to catch insects in flight. They will also take some berries and other fruits.[2]
The species is in its own genus-(monotypic), because of its bird voicebox anatomy, the syrinx.
References
- ffrench, Richard (1991). A Guide to the Birds of Trinidad and Tobago (2nd ed.). Comstock Publishing. ISBN 0-8014-9792-2.
- Hilty, Steven L (2003). Birds of Venezuela. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7136-6418-5.
External links
- Sulphury Flycatcher photo gallery VIREO
- Photo-Medium Res; Article oiseaux
