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Tyrant-flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

Masked Tityra (Tityra semifasciata) - HBW 9, p. 449

French: Tityre masqué German: Weißnackentityra Spanish: Titira Enmascarado

Taxonomy: Pachyrhynchus semifasciatus Spix, 1825, Pará, Brazil.
Genus formerly included with Pachyramphus in the Cotingidae, but transferred to the present family on the grounds of several shared, derived similarities of the skull and syrinx. Because of their similarity to cotingids in respect of many other features, some authors prefer to treat both genera as representing a separate family (Tityridae) or to leave them in Cotingidae. Phylogenetic affinity of genus and of this species currently unknown; molecular investigation needed. Nominate race and fortis intergrade in W Amazonia, such that distributional limit of each not entirely clear... View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Pachyrhynchus semifasciatus Spix, 1825, Pará, Brazil.
Genus formerly included with Pachyramphus in the Cotingidae, but transferred to the present family on the grounds of several shared, derived similarities of the skull and syrinx. Because of their similarity to cotingids in respect of many other features, some authors prefer to treat both genera as representing a separate family (Tityridae) or to leave them in Cotingidae. Phylogenetic affinity of genus and of this species currently unknown; molecular investigation needed. Nominate race and fortis intergrade in W Amazonia, such that distributional limit of each not entirely clear. Race hannumi often merged with griseiceps. Nine subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • hannumi van Rossem & Hachisuka, 1937 - NW Mexico (SE Sonora, SW Chiuahua, NE Sinaloa).
  • griseiceps Ridgway, 1888 - W Mexico (coast region from N/C Sinaloa and W Durango S to S Oaxaca).
  • personata Jardine & Selby, 1827 - E Mexico (SW Tamaulipas, SE San Luis Potosí, N Distrito Federal and N Puebla E to Yucatán), N & S Guatemala, Belize, W & C Honduras, El Salvador and NC Nicaragua.

     See all 9 subspecies
  • hannumi van Rossem & Hachisuka, 1937 - NW Mexico (SE Sonora, SW Chiuahua, NE Sinaloa).
  • griseiceps Ridgway, 1888 - W Mexico (coast region from N/C Sinaloa and W Durango S to S Oaxaca).
  • personata Jardine & Selby, 1827 - E Mexico (SW Tamaulipas, SE San Luis Potosí, N Distrito Federal and N Puebla E to Yucatán), N & S Guatemala, Belize, W & C Honduras, El Salvador and NC Nicaragua.
  • deses Bangs, 1915 - SE Mexico (Yucatán).
  • costaricensis Ridgway, 1906 - SE Honduras, Nicaragua (except NC area), Costa Rica and W & C Panama (including Coiba I and Cébaco I).
  • columbiana Ridgway, 1906 - E Panama, N & W Colombia (Bolívar and Magdalena S to Chocó, N Antioquia and WC Santander) and NW & N Venezuela (Sierra de Perijá, Andes, and coastal range from Yaracuy E to Miranda).
  • nigriceps J. A. Allen, 1888 - extreme SW Colombia (Nariño) and NW Ecuador (Esmeraldas, Manabí, W Pichincha, W Guayas, Los Ríos, NW Azuay).
  • fortis Berlepsch & Stolzmann, 1896 - E Colombia (E slope of E Andes), E Ecuador (along base of E slope), E Peru (Loreto and San Martín S to E Ayachucho and Puno), N & E Bolivia (La Paz, Cochabamba and Beni E to Santa Cruz) and WC Brazil (Mato Grosso).
  • semifasciata (Spix, 1825) - French Guiana, Brazil (primarily S of Amazon in C & S Amazonas E to Pará, Amapá and N Maranhão, S to Acre, Rondônia, S Mato Grosso and N Goiás) and NE Paraguay (Canindeyú).
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