Table of Contents
Articles on this page are available in 1 other language: Spanish (8) (learn more)
Overview
Distribution
Geographic Range
Pitangus sulphuratus are most commonly found in wet woodland and savannah areas in the eastern region of North America, such as Texas and Louisiana. Also, many individuals are found in South America and Central Argentina (Whitfield 1984).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
National Distribution
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) RESIDENT: southern Texas and northern Mexico south along both slopes of Middle America, and in South America from Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas (east of the Andes) south to central Argentina. INTRODUCED: Bermuda. Casual north to Arizona, Texas, and Louisiana.
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Physical Description
Morphology
Physical Description
Other names that P. sulphuratus are known as are great kiskadees and derby flycatchers. Kiskadees can range from 21 to 26 cm in length. They are large birds with big heads. They are among the larger species in the diverse family of tyrant flycatchers. Their sides and crown of the head are bold and black, with a white line above the eye. Their chest area and under parts are bright yellow while their throat is white and their back and tail are brown. They are monomorphic, in that both males and females are quite similar. They are alike in being medium sized and having relatively long wings and short legs. Their color is similar also as the dark structures of the beak, face and back contrast with their yellow mid-section (Kaufmann 1996, Long 1981, Perrins et al 1985).
Range mass: 52 to 68 g.
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Size
Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
- Terrestrial
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Habitat
Great kiskadees are commonly found in open woodland, scrub, thickets, streamsides, groves, parks and towns. In the tropics, they avoid dense, unbroken forests for open habitats near water (Campbell et al 1985, Kaufmann 1996).
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Comments: Partly open country with scattered trees, second-growth woodland, shrubby areas, savanna, wet woodlands, near water, around human habitation. BREEDING: Nests usually in tree crotch or similar site (e.g., utility pole) with firm support, at height of 3-9 m (Harrison 1978).
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Migration
Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Trophic Strategy
Food Habits
These birds are omnivorous; they can eat almost anything. Frequently, they perch above the water and then plunge into it, capturing fish, tadpoles and frogs. After about the third or the fourth dive, they need to dry out in the sun. Therefore, they will switch to catching beetles, wasps and other flying insects. However, when those resources are scarce during the winter, they feed on seeds, fruits and berries. They also eat lizards, mice and baby birds (Ehrlich 1988, Kaufmann 1996, Perrins et al 1985).
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Comments: Eats insects obtained by flycatching, small fishes and tadpoles caught at surface of water; also fruit, berries in winter when insects scarce (Terres 1980).
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Life History and Behavior
Life Expectancy
Lifespan/Longevity
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 83 months.
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Reproduction
Reproduction
There is little known about P. sulphuratus reproductive cycles. The breeding season begins in late March. They tend to breed in trees, near rivers, lakes, streams, lakes or in woodland or swamp areas. The nest is placed in a crotch of a tree, 10 to 30 feet above ground. The nest is made out of a bulky mass of dry vines stems, grasses, plant fibers, weeds and spanish moss. The interior is developed with softer, finer material like wool and feathers. The female can have 2 to 5 eggs while the average is 4. The eggs are characterized as being smooth, glossy, creamy white, and dotted with dark brown specks. Then, both adult kiskadees assist in feeding their young. Development of offspring and the age at first flight are not known (Harrison 1978, Kaufmann 1996, Long 1981).
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Eggs laid late March-June (mostly May) in north (Texas). Clutch size 2-5 (commonly 4).
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Barcode data: Pitangus sulphuratus
There are 21 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species. See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
-- end --
Download FASTA File
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
Trusted
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Pitangus sulphuratus
Public Records: 21
Species: 39
Species With Barcodes: 1
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
Trusted
Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Contributor/s
Justification
History
- 2008Least Concern
- 2004Least Concern
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Conservation Status
Great Kiskadees are abundant in their wetland and woodland environments. In places like Bermuda, they are the third most common species, with population densities as high as 8 to 10 pairs per hectare. Human trade or hunting are not a large threat to them (Long 1981).
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
National NatureServe Conservation Status
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
NatureServe Conservation Status
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Trends
Population
© International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Source:
IUCN
Trusted
Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Benefits
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Many P. sulphuratus feed on other bird's nests and their offspring, causing substantial decreases of cardinals, catbirds and white-eyed vireos. The decline of other bird population may indirectly affect humans (Long 1981).
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
With their wide range of selecting what to eat, P. sulphuratus sometimes capture Anolis lizards. The lizards are known for feeding on predatory beetles such as ladybirds, that help to control the scale of insect infestations (Long 1981).
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
Source:
Animal Diversity Web
Trusted
Wikipedia
Great Kiskadee
The Great Kiskadee, Pitangus sulphuratus, is a passerine bird. It is a large tyrant flycatcher; sometimes its genus Pitangus is considered monotypic, with the Lesser Kiskadee (P. lictor) separated in Philohydor.
It breeds in open woodland with some tall trees, including cultivation and around human habitation, from the Lower Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas and northern Mexico south to Uruguay, Paraguay and central Argentina, and on Trinidad. It was introduced to Bermuda in 1957, and to Tobago in about 1970.
Contents |
Description
Adult Great Kiskadees are one of the largest of the tyrant flycatchers. They can measure from 21 to 27 cm (8.3 to 11 in) in length and weigh 52 to 68 g (1.8 to 2.4 oz).[1][2] The head is black with a strong white eyestripe and a concealed yellow crown stripe. The upperparts are brown, and the wings and tail are brown with usually strong rufous fringes.
The black bill is short and thick. The similar Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua) has a massive black bill, an olive-brown back and very little rufous in the tail and wings. A few other tyrant flycatchers – some not very closely related – share a similar color pattern, but these species are markedly smaller.
The call is an exuberant BEE-tee-WEE, and the bird has an onomatopoeic name in different languages and countries: in Spanish-speaking countries it is often bien-te-veo ("I see you well!").[3][4]
 | |
| Problems listening to this file? See media help. | |
Ecology
The Great Kiskadee is a common, noisy and conspicuous bird. It is almost omnivorous, and hunts like a shrike or flycatcher, waiting on an open perch high in a tree to sally out to catch insects in flight, or to pounce upon rodents and similar small vertebrates. It will also take prey and some fruit[5] from vegetation by gleaning and jumping for it or ripping it off in mid-hover, and occasionally dives for fish or tadpoles in shallow water, making it one of the few fishing passerines. They like to hunt on their own or in pairs, and though they might be expected to make good use of prey flushed by but too large for the smaller birds of the understory, they do not seem to join mixed-species feeding flocks very often. When they do, they hunt in the familiar manner. Such opportunistic feeding behavior makes it one of the commonest birds in urban areas around Latin America; its flashy belly and its shrill call make it one of the most conspicuous.[6]
The nest, built by both sexes in a tree or telephone pole, is a ball of sticks with a side entrance. The typical clutch is two or three cream eggs lightly blotched with reddish brown. They are incubated by the female.
This alert and aggressive bird has a strong and maneuverable flight, which it uses to good effect when it feels annoyed by raptors. Even much larger birds are attacked by the Great Kiskadee, usually by diving down or zooming straight at them while they are in mid-air. Harsh calls are also often given during these attacks, alerting all potential prey in the area of the predator's presence. If not very hungry, any raptor subject to a Great Kiskadee's mobbing behavior is likely to leave, as it is wellnigh impossible to make a good catch when subject to the tyrant flycatcher's unwelcome attention. In general, avian predators are liable to steer clear of an alert Great Kiskadee, lest their hunting success be spoiled, and will hunt the Great Kiskadee itself – though it is as meaty as a fat thrush – only opportunistically.
To mammalian and squamate predators that can sneak up to nesting or sleeping birds, it is more vulnerable however. Even omnivorous mammals as small as the Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) will try to plunder Great Kiskadee nests – at least during the dry season when fruits are scarce – despite the birds' attempts to defend their offspring.[7] One of two birds studied in the Parque Nacional de La Macarena of Colombia was parasitized by microfilariae.[8]
The bright coloration of the Great Kiskadee makes it easy to recognize and as noted above, is shared by several other more or less closely related Tyrannidae. It is not known whether this apparent convergent evolution is a case of mimicry, and if so, whether the Great Kiskadee's pugnaciousness encourages some predators to leave birds with such colors well alone. Given that some Tyrannidae are alleged to taste bad, the color may also be an aposematic warning of noxious chemicals contained in the birds' meat. In a peculiar coincidence, the Foxface Rabbitfish (Siganus vulpinus) and related species have evolved a strikingly similar coloration and pattern; here it is almost certain that the colors are aposematic, as these fishes use a poisonous sting to defend themselves.
Not being appreciated as a songbird, the Great Kiskadee is not usually kept caged and therefore has escaped the depredations of poaching for the pet trade. Also, its feeding mostly on live prey makes it extremely difficult to keep in captivity. It is not considered threatened by the IUCN.[9]
Image gallery
Bien-te-veo in Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Bem-te-vi in Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (Brazil)
Cristofue in San Salvador (El Salvador)
Bathing in a fountain
Close-up (Montevideo, Uruguay)
Perching on a fence
Footnotes
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ Darwin, Charles R. (1839), Narrative of the surveying voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle between the years 1826 and 1836, describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagle's circumnavigation of the globe. Journal and remarks. 1832-1836., London: Henry Colburn, pp. 619
In page 62, Charles Darwin calls it Saurophagus sulphureus. He says "The Saurophagus sulphureus is typical of the great American tribe of Tyrant-flycatchers. [...] In the evening the Saurophagus takes its stand on a bush, often by the road-side, and continually repeats, without change, a shrill and rather agreeable cry, which somewhat resembles articulate words. The Spaniards say it is like the words, "Bien te veo "(I see you well), and accordingly have given it this name."
See it also in The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online - ^ Pitangus sulphuratus on Avibase
- ^ E.g. of Tamanqueiro (Alchornea glandulosa) or Gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba): Pascotto (2006), Foster (2007).
- ^ Machado (1999), de A. Gabriel & Pizo (2005), Pascotto (2006)
- ^ de Lyra-Neves et al. (2007)
- ^ Basto et al. (2006)
- ^ BLI (2008)
References
- Basto, Natalia; Rodríguez, Oscar A.; Marinkelle, Cornelis J.; Gutierrez, Rafael & Matta, Nubia Estela (2006): Haematozoa in birds from la Macarena National Natural Park (Colombia). Caldasia 28(2): 371-377 [English with Spanish abstract]. PDF fulltext
- BirdLife International (BLI) (2008). Pitangus sulphuratus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 16 November 2008.
- de A. Gabriel, Vagner & Pizo, Marco A. (2005): Foraging behavior of tyrant flycatchers (Aves, Tyrannidae) in Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 22(4): 1072–1077 [English with Portuguese abstract]. doi:10.1590/S0101-81752005000400036 PDF fulltext
- de Lyra-Neves, Rachel M.; Oliveira, Maria A.B.; Telino-Júnior,Wallace R. & dos Santos, Ednilza M. (2007): Comportamentos interespecíficos entre Callithrix jacchus (Linnaeus) (Primates, Callitrichidae) e algumas aves de Mata Atlântica, Pernambuco, Brasil [Interspecific behaviour between Callithrix jacchus (Linnaeus) (Callitrichidae, Primates) and some birds of the Atlantic forest, Pernanbuco State, Brazil]. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 24(3): 709–716 [Portuguese with English abstract]. doi:10.1590/S0101-81752007000300022 PDF fulltext.
- ffrench, Richard; O'Neill, John Patton & Eckelberry, Don R. (1991): A guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago (2nd edition). Comstock Publishing, Ithaca, N.Y.. ISBN 0-8014-9792-2
- Foster, Mercedes S. (2007): The potential of fruiting trees to enhance converted habitats for migrating birds in southern Mexico. Bird Conservation International 17(1): 45-61. doi:10.1017/S0959270906000554 PDF fulltext
- Hilty, Steven L. (2003): Birds of Venezuela. Christopher Helm, London. ISBN 0-7136-6418-5
- Machado, C.G. (1999): A composição dos bandos mistos de aves na Mata Atlântica da Serra de Paranapiacaba, no sudeste brasileiro [Mixed flocks of birds in Atlantic Rain Forest in Serra de Paranapiacaba, southeastern Brazil]. Revista Brasileira de Biologia 59(1): 75-85 [Portuguese with English abstract]. doi:10.1590/S0034-71081999000100010 PDF fulltext
- Pascotto, Márcia Cristina (2006): Avifauna dispersora de sementes de Alchornea glandulosa (Euphorbiaceae) em uma área de mata ciliar no estado de São Paulo [Seed dispersal of Alchornea glandulosa (Euphorbiaceae) by birds in a gallery forest in São Paulo, southeastern Brazil.]. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 14(3): 291-296 [Portuguese with English abstract]. PDF fulltext
- Stiles, F. Gary & Skutch, Alexander Frank (1989): A guide to the birds of Costa Rica. Comistock, Ithaca. ISBN 0-8014-9600-4
Source:
Wikipedia
Unreviewed
