Piratic Flycatcher
Piratic Flycatcher
Legatus leucophaius
At a Glance
This tropical flycatcher is strongly migratory, nesting as far north as northeastern Mexico but vacating all of Mexico and Central America during the northern winter. Its migratory tendencies give it the potential to stray out of range; it has occurred several times in New Mexico and Texas and once in Florida, with all records in spring or fall. The name "piratic" comes from its habit of taking over the nests of other birds rather than building its own.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Forests and Woodlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Behavior
Direct Flight, Flitter, Hovering
Range & Identification
Description
5 3/4-6 1/2"(14.5-17 cm). Medium-small flycatcher, a very rare visitor from the tropics. Dark brown above, dull yellowish white below, with blurry streaks. Two strong white stripes on face. Smaller and less colorful than Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, with much smaller bill.
Size
About the size of a Robin, About the size of a Sparrow
Wing Shape
Rounded
Tail Shape
Notched, Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Whistled “whee-whee”. Reportedly silent when encountered outside of native range.
Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the Piratic Flycatcher