Fun Amazonian Royal Flycatcher Facts For Kids

The Amazonian royal flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus) is a tyrant flycatcher bird of the family Tityridae. These birds are spread across the Amazon basin, for which they are named. They are colorful with brown, rufous, and orange feathers. There are two subspecies of the Amazonia royal flycatcher bird, O. c. coronatus, Statius Muller, and O. c. castelnaui, Deville. The specific term in the scientific name is the type species, and royal flycatcher refers to vibrantly colored crest. The genus Onychorhynchus consists of these royal flycatchers. There are four royal flycatchers in this genus. They display their colored (blue, black, yellow, and red) crest rarely, except during courtship, after mating, while preening, and when handled. There are 45 species in the family Tityridae (subfamily Tityrinae) with eleven genera. The birds in this family are small to medium-sized. George Robert Gray, an English zoologist, introduced this family. This family's existence was first proposed based on the morphology of skeletal and several syringeal features in 1989.

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What type of animal is an Amazonian royal flycatcher?

The Amazonian royal flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus) is a tyrant flycatcher of the order Passeriformes and phylum Chordata. This royal flycatcher is a medium-sized bird with large heads and short tails. This bird, like all their relatives, is specialized to catch insects mid-air using their long and broad bills. This bird has a homologous structure to a dinosaur, especially a theropod dinosaur. Like peacocks, one of the Amazonian royal flycatcher adaptations includes attracting their mates using their colorful crest. The long nest of this species dangles from branches usually over water making it difficult for the predators to reach it. The males defend and fight over territory or mating.

What class of animal does an Amazonian royal flycatcher belong to?

The Amazonian royal flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus) belongs to the class of Actinopterygii of animals.

How many Amazonian royal flycatchers are there in the world?

The exact number of the Amazonian royal flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus) population in the world is not known.

Where does an Amazonian royal flycatcher live?

The Amazonian royal flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus) can be found in their natural habitat range across Amazon Basin. This range spreads northern and western Brazil, northern Bolivia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, Venezuela, the Guianas, and eastern Colombia.

What is an Amazonian royal flycatcher's habitat?

The Amazonian royal flycatcher inhabits humid deciduous lowland forest, woodlands, lowland, and rain forest. They have been observed in degraded habitats. However, during breeding, they are found in moister forest regions near water. These forests are up to 3,937 ft (1,200 m)

Who do Amazonian royal flycatchers live with?

The Amazonian royal flycatcher can live in flocks or on their own.

How long does an Amazonian royal flycatcher live?

The Amazonian royal flycatcher's lifespan is up to six years.

How do they reproduce?

The Amazonian royal flycatcher life cycle like any bird completes in four cycles. The breeding of these birds takes place in moist forest habitats around water. During the breeding courtship, the Amazonian royal flycatcher male displays his rarely seen colored crest. Females build the nest that hangs from vines and branches above ground or water, out of the predators' reach. This hanging Amazonian royal flycatcher nest is around 78.7 in (2 m) long. Females lay up to two eggs. Females incubate their eggs for 60% of the day. Males rarely incubate the eggs. However, males defend their territory. The female bird also feeds and cares for her royal flycatcher chicks. Once the young ones are big enough to fly they jump out of their nest and learn to fly. Also, these birds do not fly further south from their mating areas.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Amazonian royal flycatcher is listed as Least Concern by the International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Endangered species. These birds are also easily overlooked and occur in low-density regions in the world. However, they are scattered around the world and can usually be spotted in their natural habitats

What do Amazonian royal flycatchers look like?

The body of the Amazonian royal flycatcher bird has dull brown upper parts with a rufous or red tail and rump. Their underbelly is ochraceous-orange with a whitish throat. The normal brown-colored male raises their rarely seen crest to display blue, yellow, black, and scarlet plumage colors. The females too have black, blue, and scarlet but red replaces the yellow color. This crest is provoked and long and the crest lays flat which raises like a fan. The crest also gives a hammerhead shape to their head. This plumage coloration is similar to the Atlantic royal flycatcher (blue, yellow, black, and red). The northern royal flycatcher male has an orange-red crest and the female has yellow-orange color. This bird also has long bills.

*Please note that this is an image of a tyrant flycatcher, one of the parent breeds of the Amazonian royal flycatcher. If you have an image of a Rottweiler Lab please let us know at [email protected].

How cute are they?

Amazonian royal flycatchers are relatively small birds and are considered cute.

How do they communicate?

These birds communicate through calls and display behavior. These birds use this display behavior to defend their areas from other bird intruders.

How big is an Amazonian royal flycatcher?

Amazonian royal flycatchers are 5.5-6.7 in (13.9-17 cm) in length. Their relative, the northern royal flycatcher is 6.5-7.1 in (16.5-18 cm) long. The Amazonian flycatcher species are 1.2 in (3 cm) longer than the least flycatcher birds.

How fast can an Amazonian royal flycatcher fly?

The flight speed of bird species is not known.

How much does an Amazonian royal flycatcher weigh?

Amazonian royal flycatcher weighs around 0.018-0.025 lb (8.1-11.3 g). These species weigh way less than great crested flycatchers.

What are the male and female names of the species?

There is no specific name given to the Amazonian royal flycatcher female and male.

What would you call a baby Amazonian royal flycatcher?

There is no specific name given to the Amazonian royal flycatcher baby.

What do they eat?

These birds forage near water and they catch flying insects or pick them out of leaves.

Are they rare?

They are usually overlooked but they are not rare species. They can be usually spotted all across their habitats.

Would they make a good pet?

No, this species would not make a good pet.

Did you know...

Other species of the genus Onychorhynchus found across the world are Pacific royal flycatchers,  Northern royal flycatchers, and Atlantic royal flycatchers.

The subspecies are found in west Amazonia (O. c. castelnaui) and north Brazil, the Guianas, and east Venezuela.

The relative of Amazonian royal flycatchers like the northern royal flycatcher is found in the south across Central America, western Venezuela, north-west Colombia, and southern Mexico, also on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. The Atlantic royal flycatcher occurs in southeastern Brazil across the Atlantic forest. A juvenile Atlantic royal flycatcher species was spotted in January.

The Northern royal flycatcher has a buffy cinnamon tail and the Atlantic royal flycatcher has a bright cinnamon tail.

Some predators of these species are snakes and large birds like eagles and falcons.

While foraging in the understorey and sub-canopy regions, the species have been observed within the low-level mixed species.

Is the Amazonian royal flycatcher endangered?

No, this species of flycatchers are not endangered. Even the northern royal flycatcher species is not under threat. However, the Atlantic royal flycatcher species is listed as vulnerable by the International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Endangered species.

Why are they called Amazonian royal flycatchers?

Royal flycatchers are named so because of their royal-looking colorful crown and their ability to catch insects mid-air. The specific name Amazonian refers to the geographic location where they are found, the Amazon basin. In the Amazon Basin, they can be found in northern and western Brazil, northern Bolivia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, Venezuela, the Guianas, and eastern Colombia.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Amazon parrot facts and glossy ibis facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring on one of our free printable Flycatcher coloring pages.