| White-headed marsh tyrant | |
|---|---|
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| Male in São Paulo, Brazil | |
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| Female in São Paulo, Brazil | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Tyrannidae |
| Genus: | Arundinicola d'Orbigny, 1840 |
| Species: | A. leucocephala |
| Binomial name | |
| Arundinicola leucocephala (Linnaeus, 1764) | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Thewhite-headed marsh tyrant (Arundinicola leucocephala), commonly referred to as the marsh tyrant, is a smallpasserinebird belonging to thetyrant flycatcherfamily. It is the solespecies within thegenusArundinicola. Thisdiurnal bird, exclusively found in South America, exhibitssexual dimorphism and is known to havemonogamous mating behavior.
Male marsh tyrants possess a distinct appearance, featuring a white head with a small crest, a white throat, and a contrasting black body. They have dark brown irises, black legs, and a bill that consists of a black upper mandible and a yellow lower mandible. Typically, they weigh around 13grams and measure approximately 13centimeters in length.[2]
Female marsh tyrants have a white forecrown and throat, along with a greyish-brown breast and flanks. Their wings and tail are also greyish-brown, although they are more uniform and significantly darker. The average weight of a female ranges from 12 to 12.5grams, and she generally measures 13centimeters in length. Females and juveniles have similar appearances.[2]
The white-headed marsh tyrant is amonotypic species within theTyrannidae family, classified under theFluvicolinae subfamily, which splits into two tribes:Contopini (peewees, phoebes, and allies) andFluvicolini (ground-tyrants and allies).A. leucocephala, along with 71 other species, belongs to theFluvicolini tribe.[3] Additionally, it forms a clade with theBlack-backed water-tyrant (Fluvicola albiventer), thePied water-tyrant (Fluvicola pica), and theMasked water-tyrant (Fluvicola nengeta) due to resembling internal anatomical characteristics. Their similar plumages, nesting behaviors, and link to stagnant waters further emphasize their tight connection.[3]
TheLatin name of the white-headed marsh tyrant reflects both itshabitat and distinctive appearance. The term "Arundo" translates to "reed", while "nicola" means "dweller". Furthermore, "leucocephala" signifies "white head".
The species is native to severalSouth American countries, includingArgentina,Bolivia,Brazil,Colombia,Ecuador,French Guiana,Paraguay,Peru,Suriname,Trinidad and Tobago, andVenezuela.[4]
As its name suggests, these tyrants inhabitwetlands in tropical regions, includingmarshes,bogs,swamps, fens,peatlands,rivers,streams, creeks, and moist savannas.[4] Additionally, many of the previously mentioned countries, such asBrazil,Colombia,Peru,Ecuador, andParaguay, dedicate a substantial amount of land to rice production.A. leucocephala has been reported as one of the many non-aquatic species found in these ricelands.[5]
A. leucocephala is a residentbird, but it may travel based on rapid turnover and succession in different environments if suitable conditions arise. Some relocated marsh tyrants have been documented from northeasternPeru and northeasternEcuador along theNapo River.[6]
| Songs and calls |
They are usually quiet, but they do emit a high-pitched call "sedik!". During courtship, they produce a deeper call "dew-de-lewde" , which is repeated at short intervals.[6]
A. leucocephala is aninsectivores, primarily preying on flying insects includingdragonflies,grasshoppers,froghoppers andbeetles.[2]
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Tyrant flycatchers use many different foraging techniques, such as the sally strike, sally glide, sally hover, sally pounce, leap upward, and leap downward. The choice of technique is often associated with differences in bill,wing, and tarsus structure. The sally strike — attacking in a fluid movement without gliding, hovering, or landing[7] — is the most frequently used foraging maneuver by the white-headed marsh tyrant.[8]
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A. leucocephala captures most of its prey at the water's surface. Its next most commonly used foraging substrate is in theair, followed by liveleaves. They tend to perch low on small marsh plants (less than 2meters high) and attack theirprey at a distance of 3 to 4meters from their initial position. They typically targetprey that is at or below their height while perched, and they less frequently attack at a high flight angle.[8] Once they catch theirprey, they promptly return to their perch, as they are rarely found on the ground.[9]
Both female and male marsh tyrants participate in feeding their juveniles. The main differences are that the female marsh tyrant hunts at greater distances and makes more frequent visits to the young compared to the male. Moreover, the female is more active in maintaining a sanitary environment for the nestlings. The parents — primarily the female — removearthropod remains andfecal sacs from the nest, while the juveniles contribute to the cleaning by handing thearthropod remains to their parents. It is theorized that keeping the nest clean helps reduce the risk of infestation by parasites and pathogens.[2]
It is speculated that if the male were to be more active, it could increase the nest's vulnerability topredation and may even increase the risk ofpredation on the male himself by nearbyraptors. This is largely due to the more prominent colors of the male tyrant, which make him more noticeable in hishabitat compared to the female.[10]
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Nests are typically constructed within four feet of the ground in swamp bushes. They arespherical in shape with a roof and feature a side opening near the top known as the "porch". This opening is narrow, to help protect the nest againstpredation. Thenests are mainly made of driedgrass, with the chambers lined thickly with soft materials like down. These homes measure about 4 inches high and 3 inches wide. The tyrants do not attempt to conceal theirnests, making them quite noticeable.[11] Both parents participate in their construction.[2]
InSatarem, Brazil, manynests were found within inches of the hive of a large specieswasp. Consequently, the natives called the marsh tyrant "Mother of the Wasp".[12]
In order of frequency, the most popular breedingmonths areSeptember,June,October andAugust; followed byNovember andJuly.[13] Theeggs laid are a creamy white color, with the number of eggs in a single brood ranging from 1 to 3. Each egg weighs between 1.8 and 1.9grams and measures approximately 19.20 to 20.68millimeters in length and 11.10 to 14.58millimeters in width.[13] The incubation period lasts about 12 to 16days and the task is shared by both parents.[9] Thehatchlings remain in thenest for about 15-17days before they are ready to leave. The generation length of the marsh tyrants is around 3.6years.[14]
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The marsh tyrant is often found in pairs or in a small family group; nevertheless it does sometimes forage alone.[9] Thebird exhibits evidence ofmonogamy, as most individuals spend the majority of their time in couples. However, once one of the partners in the duo disappears, it is replaced by another. To attract the opposite sex, the marsh tyrant performs pre-nuptial flights.[10] During courtship, the crest is prominent and can be bushy or flattened, depending on the moment. Usually, this performance includes an erect crest, high vocalizations, and variouswing positions (raised, fanned or fluttering). This behavior is also employed when confronting rivals in aggressive disputes.[9] The tyrant rarely spreads or cocks its tail.[3]
A. leucocephala displays mate aggression between breeding pairs, a behavior observed only during the breeding season. In these couples, the males are more aggressive; when they hear the call of a male intruder, they direct their aggression toward their paired female instead of the intruder.[15] When perched, the male opens and flutters itswings while slightly opening itsbeak. Then, the male aggressively flies over and chases its mate. In response, the female assumes a defensive posture, opening herbeak and partially spreading herwings. To evade the male, she may move down thebranch or attempt to fly away. This combative conduct can lead to physical harm, increased stress, drained energy, and reduced reproductive success.[15]
Theshiny cowbird, found inSouth America,Panama, and theWest Indies, is an obligatebrood parasite that targets 176 differentbirdspecies as its hosts.[16] In many areas likeGuyana andTrinidad,A. leucocephala specifically is known to be a frequent host choice forM. bonariensis.[17] When thebrood parasite inhabitswetlands, it tends to prey upon the white-headed marsh tyrant and thePied water tyrant .[18]
InBrazil's Atlantic Forest, which is home to the marsh tyrant,deforestation poses a significant threat to manyplant andanimal species. The growinghuman population endangerswildlifehabitats that lack protection from reserves,national parks, or conservation groups. However, even these protected areas are not immune to exploitation, as they are often targeted for their resources (timber,orchids, etc.) as well as forhunting andbird trapping[19]
Thisbird is considered fairly common to locally common and is not deemed threatened by theIUCN.[14] Itshabitat is located in manynational parks and other protected areas which help preserve the environment.[3]
Regions of northeasternArgentina (2%), easternParaguay (6%), and easternBrazil (92%) are part of theAtlantic Forest of South America, which is one of the world's essential biodiversity strongholds.[20] Within thisforest, many nature conservation areas are home to the white-headed marsh tyrant, thereby protecting both thebird and itshabitat. The following nature reserves house the tyrant: Tapyta Private Nature Reserve, Ypeti Nature Reserve, and Mbaracayú Binational.[21]
