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Tyrant-flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) - HBW 9, p. 408

French: Tyran quiquivi German: Schwefelmaskentyrann Spanish: Bienteveo Común
Other common names: Greater Kiskadee, Kiskadee Flycatcher

Taxonomy: [Lanius] sulphuratus Linnaeus, 1766, Cayenne.
Affinities uncertain; may be closely related to Myiozetetes, given numerous similarities in nesting behaviour. Populations in Amazonia, including slightly larger birds of SE Colombia and the Guianas, may be better represented as a single race (nominate), owing to lack of clear distinctions and to the existence of gradual clines of increasing wing length N & S of Amazon that are not correlated with any observed colour differences. Formal revision, including genetic survey, is necessary in order to determine the most appropriate taxonomic designations. Ten subspecies currently recogn.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: [Lanius] sulphuratus Linnaeus, 1766, Cayenne.
Affinities uncertain; may be closely related to Myiozetetes, given numerous similarities in nesting behaviour. Populations in Amazonia, including slightly larger birds of SE Colombia and the Guianas, may be better represented as a single race (nominate), owing to lack of clear distinctions and to the existence of gradual clines of increasing wing length N & S of Amazon that are not correlated with any observed colour differences. Formal revision, including genetic survey, is necessary in order to determine the most appropriate taxonomic designations. Ten subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • texanus van Rossem, 1940 - extreme S USA (lower Rio Grande) and E Mexico (S to S Veracruz).
  • derbianus (Kaup, 1852) - W Mexico (Sonora S to Isthmus of Tehuántepec).
  • guatimalensis (Lafresnaye, 1852) - SE Mexico (S Veracruz, E Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco, and Yucatán Peninsula), Guatemala, Belize and El Salvador S to C Panama.

     See all 10 subspecies
  • texanus van Rossem, 1940 - extreme S USA (lower Rio Grande) and E Mexico (S to S Veracruz).
  • derbianus (Kaup, 1852) - W Mexico (Sonora S to Isthmus of Tehuántepec).
  • guatimalensis (Lafresnaye, 1852) - SE Mexico (S Veracruz, E Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco, and Yucatán Peninsula), Guatemala, Belize and El Salvador S to C Panama.
  • rufipennis (Lafresnaye, 1851) - N Colombia (Caribbean coast and lower Magdalena Valley), N & C Venezuela (E to W Sucre and Monagas, S to N Amazonas and N Bolívar).
  • caucensis Chapman, 1914 - W & S Colombia (SW Bolívar, R Cauca and upper R Magdalena).
  • trinitatis Hellmayr, 1906 - E Colombia (R Meta), S & E Venezuela (Amazonas, and E Sucre S to Orinoco Delta and E Bolívar) and NW Brazil (R Surumú and R Cotinga); also Patos I and Trinidad.
  • sulphuratus (Linnaeus, 1766) - the Guianas, N Brazil (S to Amazon, E to Amapá and Marajó I), and E of Andes from SE Colombia and E Ecuador S to SE Peru.
  • maximiliani (Cabanis & Heine, 1859) - E & S Brazil (Maranhão and Piauí S to Mato Grosso, Goiás and Santa Catarina), N Bolivia (Beni) and Paraguay.
  • bolivianus (Lafresnaye, 1852) - E Bolivia (Cochabamba S to Tarija).
  • argentinus Todd, 1952 - Argentina (S to E Mendoza, Córdoba and Río Negro), E Paraguay, extreme SE Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) and Uruguay.
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