#silky flycatcher

[herpsandbirds]

Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher (Ptiliogonys caudatus), family Ptiliogonatidae, order Passeriformes, Costa Rica

photograph by Javier Chaves Alvarado (@javier.chaves.photography)

[birdblues]

Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher

[wingedjewels]

He of the shining robe by Todd Wynia Via Flickr: This is a phainopepla, the only U.S. member of a family of birds known as silky flycatchers. The name phainopepla derives from a Greek word meaning shining robe. Seems apt, given this guy's glossy appearance. Males are black like this guy. Females are more gray. But both sexes have that cool crest and red eye.

[typhlonectes]

Phainopepla, male, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Photograph by Mick Thompson, Eastside Audubon CC

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher

Photo: Patty McGann

"Striking bird unlikely to be confused with any other species. Very long tail and obvious crest stand out, in addition to soft blue-gray body with yellow-green head and flanks. Sometimes seen singly, but can also gather in flocks when fruiting trees (especially mistletoe) are abundant. Found in montane forest and edges."

- eBird

[alonglistofbirds]

[914/10,977] Black-and-yellow Phainoptila - Phainoptila melanoxantha

Also known as: Black-and-yellow silky-flycatcher

Order: Passeriformes Suborder: Passeri Superfamily: Bombycilloidea Family: Ptiliogonatidae (silky-flycatchers)

Photo credit: Sam Woods via Macaulay Library

[hiddenstashart]

TO CATCH THE SILKY-FLYCATCHERS

(photo ref credit to biologist Dan Baldassarre, who snatched up these female & male Phainopeplas with one hand to quickly remove them from the net when they it hit side-by-side during a banding session)

[gaylightisminetocommand]

I love it when people who do art of animals they're really interested in tag it with like the species name and scientific name and everything. Like most artists would draw a one-off bird and tag it 'birds' but then you've got people out who have drawn every variation of bird imaginable and so they tag it with like. long tailed silky flycatcher or something. i'm sure the people who follow #long tailed silky flycatcher are very grateful for your contributions.

this isn't poking fun at people who do this btw, it's just that thing where people who are interested in something will see so much more wonder in it where most people will just be like 'it's a bird'. i actually think it's so wholesome.

[daniela--anna]

Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher

[mscoyditch]

"Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher".

Photo by Jess Findlay. Instagram.

> j-k-i-ng

[herpsandbirds]

Long-tailed Silky Flycatcher (Ptiliogonys caudatus), family Ptiliogonatidae, order Passeriformes, Costa Rica

photograph by Jose Pablo Muñoz Matarrita

[birdblues]

Phainopepla

[wingedjewels]

Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), adult male DSD_8998 by fotosynthesys

[typhlonectes]

Long-tailed silky-flycatcher (Ptiliogonys caudatus), Bosque de Paz Lodge, Costa Rica

photograph by Doug Greenberg | Flickr CC

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Phainopepla

Photo: Christopher Lindsey

"In the desert southwest, Phainopeplas and mistletoe rely on each other. Phainopeplas feed heavily on berries of this parasitic plant; after the berries pass through the bird's digestive tract, the seeds often stick to branches of mesquite or other trees, where they can sprout new mistletoe clumps. Flocks of these slim and elegant birds may gather to feed on seasonally abundant crops such as elderberries. At other times, Phainopeplas are solitary, each bird defending a few small trees with several large clumps of mistletoe, and attempting to drive away any other fruit-eating birds that come close."

- Audubon Field Guide

[todaysbird]

the long tailed silky-flycatcher is a thrush-sized passerine bird found only in the mountains of costa rica and western panama. females are duller in coloration than males and lack the signature long tail feathers. this species primarily feeds on insects, as their name suggests, but also takes fruit, with a preference for mistletoe. these birds lay only two eggs in a clutch, which are placed in a delicate nest made of lichen.