La Sagra's Flycatcher

Overview

La Sagra's flycatcher (Myiarchus sagrae) is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family Tyrannidae. It is primarily found in the West Indies, including Cuba, the Bahamas, and Grand Cayman, with occasional vagrant records in Alabama and Florida.

Identification

• Measures 19 to 22 cm in length and weighs 14 to 29 g, with a distinctive flat crown that is unusual for Myiarchus flycatchers.
• Plumage features a smoky olive-brown crown, ashy gray face, and olive-brown upperparts with some rufescence on the uppertail coverts.
• Underparts are pale ashen gray, becoming whitish on the belly and slightly yellowish white on the flanks, with two faint wing bars formed by grayish white tips on the coverts.
• The song of the nominate subspecies is described as 'weeet-ze-weer', while the M. s. lucaysiensis subspecies sings a combination of a modified 'huit' note and a rolling 'brrr-r-r'.

Habitat

Inhabits a wide variety of tropical and lower subtropical landscapes, including pine woodland, evergreen forest, mixed conifer-deciduous forest, mangroves, and scrublands. It is found at all elevations from sea level to 1,500 m, serving as a year-round resident in Cuba, the Bahamas, and Grand Cayman.

Diet

Feeds on insects, fruits, and seeds, typically foraging in the habitat's understory. It snares prey and fruit by briefly hovering after a sally from a perch.

Did you know?

The species is named after Ramón de la Sagra, who was the first to make it known to the public.