Muscicapa is a genus of passerine birds belonging to the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae, and therein to the typical flycatchers of subfamily Muscicapinae. They are widespread across Europe, Africa and Asia with most species occurring in forest and woodland habitats. Several species are migratory, moving south from Europe and northern Asia for the winter.[1]
| Muscicapa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Spotted flycatcher (M. striata) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Muscicapidae |
| Genus: | Muscicapa Brisson, 1760 |
| Type species | |
| Motacilla striata Pallas, 1764 | |
| Species | |
|
see text | |
They are small birds, 9 to 15 cm (3.5 to 5.9 in) in length. They have a large head, short tail and a flattened bill, broader at the base. Their plumage is mostly drab brown or grey and rather plain. Young birds tend to be more spotted or mottled.[1]
Muscicapa flycatchers typically feed on flying insects which are caught by sallying out from an exposed perch. The nest is usually cup-shaped and built on a tree branch but some African species nest in tree holes.[1]
Taxonomy and systematics
editThe genus was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) as the type species.[2][3] The word Muscicapa comes from the Latin musca, a fly and capere, to catch.[4]
In 2010 two large molecular phylogenetic studies of species within Muscicapidae showed that Muscicapa was non-monophyletic. The authors were unable to propose a revised genus as not all the species were sampled.[5][6] A subsequent study published in 2016 included 37 of the 42 Muscicapini species. It confirmed that Muscicapa was non-monophyletic and proposed a reorganised arrangement with several new or resurrected genera.[7]
Extant species
editThere are 17 extant species of Muscicapa flycatchers:[8]
| Image | Common name | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Grey-streaked flycatcher | Muscicapa griseisticta | Manchuria and Kamchatka; winters in Southeast Asia |
.jpg) | Dark-sided flycatcher | Muscicapa sibirica | Asia |
.jpg) | Ferruginous flycatcher | Muscicapa ferruginea | Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, India, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. |
 | Brown-breasted flycatcher | Muscicapa muttui | north eastern India, central and Southern China and northern Burma, Thailand and Vietnam, and migrates to southern India and Sri Lanka. |
_facing_left_in_tree.jpg) | Ashy-breasted flycatcher | Muscicapa randi | Philippines |
 | Sumba brown flycatcher | Muscicapa segregata | Indonesia |
_at_Periyar_National_Park.jpg) | Asian brown flycatcher | Muscicapa dauurica[9][10] | Japan, eastern Siberia, southern India, Sri Lanka east to Indonesia and Vietnam, and the Himalayas |
 | Brown-streaked flycatcher | Muscicapa williamsoni | southern Myanmar, southern Thailand, northern peninsular Malaysia, and northeast Borneo |
 | Sulawesi streaked flycatcher | Muscicapa sodhii | Sulawesi |
| Yellow-footed flycatcher | Muscicapa sethsmithi | African tropical rainforest | |
 | Little grey flycatcher | Muscicapa epulata | African tropical rainforest |
 | African dusky flycatcher | Muscicapa adusta | elevated areas of Sub-Saharan Africa |
.jpg) | Spotted flycatcher | Muscicapa striata | Mediterranean and Europe to Central Asia, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa |
 | Mediterranean flycatcher | Muscicapa tyrrhenica | the Balearic Islands, Corsica and Sardinia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa |
 | Gambaga flycatcher | Muscicapa gambagae | Sudan (region) and Arabian Highlands |
 | Cassin's flycatcher | Muscicapa cassini | African tropical rainforest |
 | Swamp flycatcher | Muscicapa aquatica | Sudan (region) and south towards Zambia |
Extinct species
editThere are at least three fossil species which are included in this genus:
- †Muscicapa leganyii (Middle Miocene of Felsőtárkány, Hungary)[11]
- †Muscicapa miklosi (Late Miocene of Polgárdi, Hungary)[12]
- †Muscicapa petenyii (Pliocene of Beremend, Hungary)[12]
Former species
editFormerly, some authorities also considered the following species (or subspecies) as species within the genus Muscicapa:
- Red-backed fairywren (as Muscicapa melanocephala)[13]
- Australian golden whistler (as Muscicapa pectoralis)[14]
- New Caledonian whistler (as Muscicapa caledonica)[15]
- Rufous whistler (xanthetraea) (as Muscicapa xanthetraea)[16]
- Little shrikethrush (as Muscicapa megarhyncha)[17]
- Black-naped monarch (as Muscicapa azurea)[18]
- Blue-mantled crested flycatcher (as Muscicapa cyanomelas)[19]
- African paradise flycatcher (as Muscicapa viridis)[20]
- Mascarene paradise flycatcher (as Muscicapa bourbonnensis)[21]
- Hawaiʻi ʻelepaio (as Muscicapa sandwichensis)[22]
- Tahiti monarch (as Muscicapa nigra)[23]
- †Maupiti monarch (as Muscicapa Pomarea)[24]
- Chuuk monarch (as Muscicapa Rugensis)[25]
- Spot-winged monarch (as Muscicapa guttula)[26]
- Hooded monarch (as Muscicapa manadensis)[27]
- Island monarch (as Muscicapa inornata)[28]
- Black-faced monarch (as Muscicapa melanopsis)[29]
- Golden monarch (as Muscicapa chrysomela)[30]
- Frilled monarch (as Muscicapa telescopthalmus)[31]
- Shining flycatcher (chalybeocephala) (as Muscicapa chalybeocephalus)[32]
- Black-capped bulbul (as Muscicapa melanictera)[33]
- Light-vented bulbul (as Muscicapa sinensis)[34]
- Yellow-vented bulbul (as Muscicapa goiavier)[35]
References
edit- 1 2 3 Sinclair et al. (2003), Perrins (2004), del Hoyo et al. (2006)
- ↑ Brisson, Mathurin Jacques (1760). Ornithologie; ou, Méthode contenant la division des oiseaux en ordres, sections, genres, espéces & leurs variétés. &c (in Latin and French). Paris: Jean-Baptiste Bauche. Vol. 1 p. 32, Vol. 2 p. 357.
- ↑ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1986). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 11. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 313.
- ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London, United Kingdom: Christopher Helm. p. 260. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
- ↑ Sangster, G.; Alström, P.; Forsmark, E.; Olsson, U. (2010). "Multi-locus phylogenetic analysis of Old World chats and flycatchers reveals extensive paraphyly at family, subfamily and genus level (Aves: Muscicapidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 57 (1): 380–392. Bibcode:2010MolPE..57..380S. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.07.008. PMID 20656044.
- ↑ Zuccon, D.; Ericson, P.G.P. (2010). "A multi-gene phylogeny disentangles the chat-flycatcher complex (Aves: Muscicapidae)". Zoologica Scripta. 39 (3): 213–224. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2010.00423.x. S2CID 85963319.
- ↑ Voelker, G.; Huntley, J.W.; Peñalba, J.V.; Bowie, R.C.K. (2016). "Resolving taxonomic uncertainty and historical biogeographic patterns in Muscicapa flycatchers and their allies". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 94 (Pt B): 618–625. Bibcode:2016MolPE..94..618V. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2015.09.026. PMID 26475615.
- ↑ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2023). "Chats, Old World flycatchers". IOC World Bird List Version 13.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ↑ Mlíkovský, J. (2012). "Correct name for the Asian Brown Flycatcher (Aves:Muscicapidae, Muscicapa". Zootaxa. 3393: 53–56. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3393.1.4.
- ↑ Dickinson, E.C.; et al. (2014). "Correcting the "correct" name for the Asian Brown Flycatcher (Aves: Passeriformes, Muscicapidae, Muscicapa". Zootaxa. 3869 (3): 343–347. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3869.3.8. PMID 25283921.
- ↑ Eugen Kessler (2013). "Neogene songbirds (Aves, Passeriformes) from Hungary" (PDF). Hantkeniana. Contributions of the Department of Palaeontology. Eötvös University. 8: 37–149. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- 1 2 Kessler, E. 2013. Neogene songbirds (Aves, Passeriformes) from Hungary. – Hantkeniana, Budapest, 2013, 8: 37-149.
- ↑ "Malurus melanocephalus (Red-backed Fairywren) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
- ↑ "Pachycephala pectoralis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
- ↑ "Pachycephala caledonica - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-02-04.
- ↑ "Pachycephala rufiventris xanthetraea - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
- ↑ "Colluricincla megarhyncha - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
- ↑ "Hypothymis azurea - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
- ↑ "Trochocercus cyanomelas - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-07.
- ↑ "Terpsiphone viridis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
- ↑ "Terpsiphone bourbonnensis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ↑ "Chasiempis sandwichensis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
- ↑ "Pomarea nigra - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-11.
- ↑ "Pomarea pomarea - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-12.
- ↑ "Metabolus rugensis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-12.
- ↑ "Symposiachrus guttula - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
- ↑ "Symposiachrus manadensis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-15.
- ↑ "Monarcha cinerascens inornatus - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
- ↑ "Monarcha melanopsis - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
- ↑ "Carterornis chrysomela - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
- ↑ "Arses telescopthalmus - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
- ↑ "Myiagra alecto chalybeocephala - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-01-26.
- ↑ "Pycnonotus melanicterus - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
- ↑ "Pycnonotus [sinensis or formosae] - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
- ↑ Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (1832). Longman. 1854-01-01.
Further reading
edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Muscicapa.
Wikispecies has information related to Muscicapa.
- del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (eds.) (2006): Handbook of Birds of the World (Vol. 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers). Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-96553-06-X (Vol.11: 2006)
- Perrins, Christopher (ed.) (2004): The New Encyclopedia of Birds. Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN 0-19-852506-0
- Sinclair, Ian; Ryan, Pete; Christy, Patrice & Hockey, Phil (2003): Birds of Africa: a complete illustrated field guide to the birds of the Sahara. Struik, Cape Town. ISBN 1-86872-857-9