Tyrant-flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

Black-capped Tyrannulet (Phyllomyias nigrocapillus) - HBW 9, p. 261

French: Tyranneau à tête noire German: Schwarzkappen-Kleintyrann Spanish: Mosquerito Capirotado

Taxonomy: T[yrannulus] nigro-capillus Lafresnaye, 1845, “Bogotá”, Colombia.
Genus as presently constituted may be polyphyletic; objective phylogenetic analysis, using molecular characters as well as anatomical ones, is required in order to define generic limits. Anatomical evidence suggests that P. fasciatus, P. griseocapilla and P. griseiceps may be unrelated to others of genus, some or all of which possibly better placed in resurrected genus Tyranniscus. Present species was for long placed in latter genus. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • flavimentum (Chapman, 1912) - Santa Marta Mts, in N Colombia.
  • nigrocapillus (Lafresnaye, 1845) - Andes of extreme W Venezuela, Colombia (except Santa Marta), W & E Ecuador and E Peru (S to Junín).
  • aureus (J. T. Zimmer, 1941) - Andes of W Venezuela (S Lara S to N Táchira).