Masked Tityra

Overview

The masked tityra (Tityra semifasciata) is a medium-sized passerine bird found in Mexico, Central America, and northern and central mainland South America. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, with an estimated population of at least five million mature individuals.

Identification

• Length 20–24 cm; sexually dimorphic with adult males showing bare rosy red skin from bill to eye and a black forecrown, while females possess similar red skin but a smokier gray head without black.
• Both sexes feature a slightly hooked rosy red bill with a black tip, reddish brown to brick-red irises, and blackish legs and feet.
• Vocalisations include distinctive buzzy, nasal, and staccato calls such as 'zzzu rrk' or 'zzr zzzrt', as well as dry, grunting, pig-like sounds like 'quert'.

Habitat

It inhabits a variety of forested landscapes in tropical and lower subtropical zones, including the canopy, clearings, and edges of lowland and montane evergreen forests, as well as secondary forests and plantations. Its range spans from sea level up to 2,500 m in western Mexico and northern Central America, and lower elevations in other parts of its distribution.

Diet

The masked tityra feeds primarily on fruits, supplemented by invertebrates and occasionally small lizards. It forages singly, in pairs, or in small groups, usually perching in the mid-story to canopy of the forest to glean food or take it with a short sally.

Did you know?

Males display to females by running back and forth on a branch while drooping their wings and making a croaking sound. The species also shows remarkable adaptability, as one individual was recorded spending time in southern Texas following an extensive freeze in Mexico.