Photo: Jameel Mohammed / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Boat-billed Flycatcher
Megarynchus pitangua
Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 14 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua) is a member of the Tyrannidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 69.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Tyrannidae Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura
- Genus Megarynchus
- Species pitangua
Quick facts
- Weight
- 69.9 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Tyrannidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Boat-billed Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Boat-billed Flycatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua) belongs to the Tyrannidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Mexico to ne Argentina.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 69.9 g, with a wing length of about 11.4 cm and a tail of around 8.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 13.2 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Boat-billed Flycatcher?
The Boat-billed Flycatcher is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 69.9 g.
Where does the Boat-billed Flycatcher live?
The Boat-billed Flycatcher is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Mexico to ne Argentina, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Boat-billed Flycatcher belong to?
The Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua) belongs to the Tyrannidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Boat-billed Flycatcher eat?
The Boat-billed Flycatcher is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Boat-billed Flycatcher migrate?
The Boat-billed Flycatcher is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Boat-billed Flycatcher endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Boat-billed Flycatcher make?
1 real field recording of the Boat-billed Flycatcher — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Boat-billed Flycatcher's range?
The Boat-billed Flycatcher has a mapped global range of about 13.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.
Meet the Tyrannidae
A field guide to the Tyrannidae family — 444 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.