La Sagra's flycatcher
La Sagra's flycatcher is a passerine bird in the family Tyrannidae, the tyrant flycatchers. It is found in Cuba, the Bahamas, and Grand Cayman in the West Indies and as a vagrant to Alabama and Florida.
Taxonomy and systematics
La Sagra's flycatcher was formally described as Muscicapa sagre, mistakenly placing it in the Old World flycatcher family. At times it and the stolid flycatcher have been considered conspecific.La Sagra's flycatcher has two subspecies, the nominate M. s. sagrae and M. s. lucaysiensis. This treatment might not be final, as some evidence places M. s. sagrae as more closely related to the nominate subspecies of the stolid flycatcher than to M. s. lucaysiensis.
The English name and specific epithet of La Sagra's flycatcher honor Ramón de la Sagra, who "was the first to make it known to the public".
Description
La Sagra's flycatcher is long and weighs. The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies have a smoky olive-brown crown that is slightly lighter on its front. Unusual in Myiarchus flycatchers, their crown has a flat appearance. Their face is ashy gray. Their upperparts are mostly olive-brown with some rufescence on the uppertail coverts. Their wings are mostly brown with thin rufous edges on the outer webs of the primaries and pale grayish white edges on the outer webs of the secondaries and tertials. The wing's greater and median coverts have grayish white tips that show as two faint wing bars. Their tail is mostly brown with rufous on all but the innermost and outermost feathers. Their throat, breast, and upper belly are pale ashen gray that becomes whitish on their belly and slightly yellowish white on the flanks and undertail coverts. Subspecies M. s. lucaysiensis is larger than the nominate and has rufous on it outermost tail feathers. Both subspecies have a dark iris, a dark bill, and dark legs and feet.Distribution and habitat
The nominate subspecies of La Sagra's flycatcher is found on the mainland of Cuba, on Isla de la Juventud, and on Grand Cayman Island. Subspecies M. s. lucaysiensis is found in the Bahama islands. The species has been recorded several times in south Florida and once in Alabama. The Florida sightings have all been of subspecies M. s. lucaysiensis.La Sagra's flycatcher inhabits a wide variety of landscapes in the tropical and lower subtropical zones. These include pine woodland, evergreen forest, mixed conifer-deciduous forest, mangroves, and scrublands. It has been recorded at all elevations from sea level to.