Rusty-margined Flycatcher

Myiozetetes cayanensis

One of several medium-sized, kiskadee-like flycatchers that are bright yellow below, with bold black-and-white head pattern. Rusty-margined is one of the smaller ones, with a smaller bill than Great Kiskadee. Most similar to Social and White-ringed Flycatchers; look for combination of black cheek (not gray) and especially obvious rufous in the wings. Shorter bill than White-ringed. Voice is helpful: listen for lazy-sounding, slightly burry “wheeer” call. Found in a variety of open wooded habitats such as forest edge and second growth, often around water.

Taxonomy

In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the rusty-margined flycatcher in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected in Cayenne in French Guiana. He used the French name Le gobe-mouche de Cayenne and the Latin Muscicapa Cayanensis. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. When in 1766 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson. One of these was the rusty-margined flycatcher. Linnaeus included a brief description, used Brisson's Latin name as the binomial name Muscicapa cayanensis and cited Brisson's work. This species is now placed in the genus Myiozetetes that was introduced by the English zoologist Philip Sclater in 1859 . Four subspecies are recognised.

Scientific name
Myiozetetes cayanensis
Authority
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Tyrannidae
Genus
Myiozetetes

Range and habitat

Migration
Resident species

Conservation

Population trend
stable

Photos

Distribution

Bird Calls

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Rusty-margined Flycatcher | BirdLens