Megarynchus pitangua
The Boat-billed Flycatcher (*Megarynchus pitangua*) is a robust and conspicuous Neotropical passerine, immediately recognizable by its disproportionately large, broad, and somewhat flattened black bill, which gives the species its evocative common name. This substantial tyrant flycatcher measures approximately 22-25 cm (8.7-9.8 in) in length, with a wingspan of 38-42 cm (15-16.5 in), and weighs between 50-70 grams (1.8-2.5 oz). Its plumage is characterized by a dark olive-brown back, contrast...
This adaptable flycatcher primarily inhabits humid and semi-arid open woodlands, forest edges, clearings, secondary growth, riverine forests, savannas, and sometimes even parks and gardens, typically found from sea level up to 1500-2000 meters in elevation.
Highly opportunistic generalists, their diet primarily consists of large insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, and cicadas, supplemented significantly by fruits and berries, and occasionally small vertebrates like lizards, frogs, and even small fish; they mostly forage by sallying from perches o...
Boat-billed Flycatchers are diurnal birds, often observed solitarily or in pairs, perching conspicuously on exposed branches at mid-level or in the canopy, from where they actively scan for prey. Their foraging strategy is highly opportunistic, primarily involving sallying flights to snatch large...
The Boat-billed Flycatcher boasts an expansive Neotropical distribution, stretching from southern Mexico (including the Yucatan Peninsula) southward through Central America, covering Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Its range continues broadly across So...
Least Concern
- The Boat-billed Flycatcher is the largest member of its genus, *Megarynchus*, which literally translates to "large beak. - Despite its "flycatcher" name, it has an incredibly varied diet that includes not just insects but also a significant amount of fruit and even small fish, frogs, and lizard...