The dusky-capped flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer) is a passerine bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in the United States, Mexico, every Central American country, Trinidad, and in every mainland South American country except Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Taxonomy and systematics
The dusky-capped flycatcher was originally described in 1837 as Tyrannus tuberculifer. Its further taxonomic history is complex. At various times at least what are now seven separate species were included as subspecies of Myiarchus tuberculifer. It currently is assigned these 13 subspecies:
M. t. olivascens Ridgway, 1884
M. t. lawrenceii (Jacob Giraud Jr, 1841)
M. t. querulous Nelson, 1904
M. t. platyrhynchus Ridgway, 1885
M. t. manens Parkes, 1982
M. t. connectens Miller, W & Griscom, 1925
M. t. littoralis Zimmer, JT, 1953
M. t. nigricapillus Cabanis, 1861
M. t. brunneiceps Lawrence, 1861
M. t. pallidus Zimmer, JT & Phelps, WH, 1946
M. t. tuberculifer (d'Orbigny & Lafresnaye, 1837)
M. t. nigriceps Sclater, PL, 1860
M. t. atriceps Cabanis, 1883
Plumage and vocalization similarities sort the subspecies into groups within the species. The North American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society recognizes two. The tuberculifer group ("dusky-capped flycatcher") includes all the subspecies except M. t. atriceps, which it calls the "dark-capped flycatcher". The Clements taxonomy recognizes these four groups:
Dusky-capped flycatcher (olivascens): M. t. olivascens
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (lawrenceii group): M. t. lawrenceii, M. t. querulous, M. t. platyrhynchus, M. t. manens, M. t. connectens, M. t. littoralis, M. t. nigricapillus, and M. t. brunneiceps
Dusky-capped flycatcher (tuberculifer/pallidus): M. t. tuberculifer and M. t. pallidus
Dusky-capped flycatcher (nigriceps/atriceps): M. t. nigriceps and M. t. atriceps
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Birds of the World treats each of M. t. olivascens, M. t. nigricapillus, M. t....
