Tobago: Brown-crested Flycatcher - Myiarchus tyrannulus

At 9+ inches the Brown-crested Flycatcher is the largest of the Myiarchus group, and is seen commonly in Tobago. The Brown-crested has a large bill, crested profile, light lemon-yellow belly, gray breast and pale gray throat. Rufous on the primaries and tail and 2 wing bars help complete the picture. That description almost sounds distinctive, but there are a number of Myiarchus species with similar features, so the avid birder would be well advised to learn the differences in their calls.

The Brown-crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus tyrannulus, has an extensive range, from the southern U.S. down to Bolivia and Argentina. Trinidad-Tobago has the nominate subspecies, M. t. tyrannulus, and 6 other subspecies are recognized. On the island of Trinidad-Tobago there are 3 Myiarchus species (a fourth, Swainson’s Flycatcher, hasn’t been seen there in decades). Some in our group got to see the Dusky-capped Flycatcher on Trinidad, and we got a brief look at the Venezuelan Flycatcher on Tobago.

Taxonomy - There are 22 species in the genus Myiarchus, 5 of which can be seen in the U.S. La Sagra’s Flycatcher is seen as a vagrant only in southern Florida, but the other 4 have been seen in California. The Ash-throated Flycatcher is common breeder here, and last January we had a Dusky-capped Flycatcher in Golden Gate Park! The Brown-crested is seen in Arizona and occasionally in southern California, while the eastern Great-crested Flycatcher is a vagrant here.