Boat-billed Flycatcher (Megarynchus pitangua) - HBW 9, p. 415

Taxonomy: [Lanius] Pitangva [sic] Linnaeus, 1766, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Affinities of genus uncertain. Syringeal morphology, nest architecture and molecular-sequence data indicate a sister relationship with Tyrannopsis; molecular data provide conflicting but fairly weak evidence for the two being either the sister-group to Conopias, or basal to a group including Conopias as sister to a well-supported clade containing Empidonomus, Griseotyrannus and Tyrannus, but additional sequence data necessary in order to resolve true affinities among these taxa. Trinidad birds described as race parvirostris on grounds of supposedly smaller bill, but considered otherwise indistinguishable from South American birds. Some races seem readily distinguishable, others less so; populations of nominate from S Brazil and Paraguay appear somewhat larger and darker on average than those in N, but much individual variation; critical re-evaluation of races is needed. Six subspecies currently recognized.