Black-tailed Tityra
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| Tityra cayana (Linnaeus, 1766) |
The Black-tailed Tityra, Tityra cayana, is a medium-sized passerine bird. It was formerly placed in the cotinga family, but is now usually treated as a tyrant flycatcher, although Stiles and Skutch separate the tityras as part of a separate family, the Tityridae.
The Black-tailed Tityra breeds from Colombia, Trinidad and Venezuela south to northeastern Argentina and southeastern Brazil. This species is found in forest edges, second growth and plantation shade trees. The brown-marked buff eggs are laid in a bed of dry leaves in a tree hole, either in an old woodpecker nest or the crown of a dead palm tree. The female incubates alone, but both parents feed the chicks. Fledging is believed to take at least 3 weeks, and two broods may be raised in a seaon.
The adult Black-tailed Tityra is 22 cm long and weighs 60g. The male is greyish-white above and white below, except for the head, wings and tail, which are black. There is a patch of red bare skin around the eye, and the bill is red-based with a black tip. The female is similar, but darker grey above, with a brown crown and fine brown streaks on the back and breast.
Black-tailed Tityras are seen alone or in pairs, perched conspicuosly as they feed on medium-sized fruits. Some large insects are fed to the chicks. They have a buzzing weenk or doubled beeza-buzza call.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Tityra cayana. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 06 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Birds of Venezuela by Hilty, ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
- Birds of Trinidad and Tobago by ffrench, ISBN 0-7136-6759-1
- A guide to the birds of Costa Rica by Stiles and Skutch ISBN 0-08-149600-4
