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Tyrant-flycatchers (Tyrannidae)

Rufous-crowned Tody-tyrant (Poecilotriccus ruficeps) - HBW 9, p. 329

French: Todirostre bariolé German: Rostkappen-Todityrann Spanish: Titirijí Capirrufo
Other common names: Rufous-crowned Tody-flycatcher

Taxonomy: Tod[iramphus] ruficeps Kaup, 1852, “? Mexico”; error, type presumably a “Bogotá” (Colombia) skin.
Formerly placed in genus Todirostrum. Forms a superspecies with P. luluae. Races appear to form two groups on plumage type, namely “bridled group” (melanomystax, peruvianus) and “plain-headed group” (nominate, rufigenis); two specimens from Boyacá may be hybrids (melanomystax x nominate), but otherwise lack of intergradation between the two groups, combined with notable plumage differences, suggests the groups may represent two separate species, although vocalizations similar; reproductive isolation of the two groups would help to explain cur.. View all taxonomy...

Taxonomy: Tod[iramphus] ruficeps Kaup, 1852, “? Mexico”; error, type presumably a “Bogotá” (Colombia) skin.
Formerly placed in genus Todirostrum. Forms a superspecies with P. luluae. Races appear to form two groups on plumage type, namely “bridled group” (melanomystax, peruvianus) and “plain-headed group” (nominate, rufigenis); two specimens from Boyacá may be hybrids (melanomystax x nominate), but otherwise lack of intergradation between the two groups, combined with notable plumage differences, suggests the groups may represent two separate species, although vocalizations similar; reproductive isolation of the two groups would help to explain curious leapfrog distribution of races; further study required, especially in areas of contact between subspecies groups, in particular S Ecuador and Boyacá; P. luluae probably represents a further, more definitively separated offshoot of the same lineage. Four subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

  • melanomystax Hellmayr, 1927 - Andes in W Venezuela (N Mérida, E Trujillo) and C Colombia (Antioquia S to Cauca and head of Magdalena Valley, also Boyacá).
  • ruficeps (Kaup, 1852) - extreme SW Venezuela (S Táchira), and NE (Norte de Santander) & SW Colombia S to SC Ecuador.
  • rufigenis (P. L. Sclater & Salvin, 1877) - SW Colombia (Nariño) and NW Ecuador.
  • peruvianus Chapman, 1924 - S Ecuador (Loja, Zamora-Chinchipe) and N Peru (Piura, Cajamarca).

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