The piratic flycatcher is a passerine bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Mexico, in every Central American country except El Salvador, in Trinidad and Tobago, and in every mainland South American country except Chile, though in Uruguay only as a vagrant. It has also occurred several times as a vagrant in the southern United States.
Region
Neotropics
Typical Environment
Occurs from southern Mexico through Central America (absent from El Salvador) and across much of South America, avoiding Chile; in Uruguay it appears only as a vagrant. It is also present on Trinidad and Tobago and has reached the southern United States as a rare vagrant. Occupies edges of humid and semi-humid forests, second-growth, woodland savannas, plantations, and gardens. Often favors canopy and edge habitats near clearings and watercourses where perches are available.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named for its habit of seizing and occupying the woven nests of other birds, the piratic flycatcher often removes the owners’ eggs or chicks before laying its own. It is a monotypic genus within the tyrant flycatcher family and can be surprisingly aggressive for its size. Widespread from Mexico through much of South America and Trinidad and Tobago, it occasionally wanders to the southern United States.
Temperament
assertive and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats; sallying flier
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly or in pairs, perching conspicuously as it watches for prey. Notorious for nest piracy: it commandeers the finished nests of species such as orioles and caciques, often ejecting eggs or chicks, then lays and raises its own brood in the stolen structure. Pairs defend nesting sites vigorously against intruders.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Vocalizations are loud, clear whistles and sharp, piped notes delivered in short phrases. Calls can be insistent and repetitive, carrying well from exposed perches.
Plumage
Olive-brown upperparts with paler fringes, whitish underparts often with faint dusky streaking on the breast, and two pale wingbars. A bold white supercilium contrasts with a dusky eye-stripe; tail is dark with a slightly notched tip. Plumage is clean and fairly crisp, giving a neat, compact appearance.
Diet
Primarily captures flying insects such as flies, wasps, bees, and beetles, sallying out from high, exposed perches. Also gleans from foliage and occasionally takes small fruits, especially when insect activity is low. Foraging style is watch-and-sally, returning to the same perch between sorties.
Preferred Environment
Feeds along forest edges, in clearings, river margins, and open woodlands with scattered tall trees. Often forages high in the canopy but will drop to mid-levels at edges and in secondary growth.
